LoZ: Time Gate: The Adult Chapters
by Uzuki Cheverie
Summary: Yay, it's finally here! You must read LoZ: Time Gate so that you will not be confused with this part of the book. I hope you all enjoy! REVIEW! :D Rated M for violence, language, explicit scenes, and just general safety...
1. When Life Gives You Lemons

Hey everyone,

Oh boy, this ought to be a train wreck. . . okay, for one, I'm switching the point of views so that it will not be past-tense (so instead of I SAT, it will be I SIT). This will not be permanent, it is simply an experiment to see which one works out better in terms of sound-ness(?). If you guys think it's better the original past-tense way, please say so in a PM or review. I think that's all I have to say. . . yep, that's all. Enjoy the first chapter of the Adult Chapters while I go cry in the corner. . . and don't forget to give me a good first review for this story, I'd really like to know your opinions :D

Further to it being the second part of the book however, the ending to this story will split off into two different parts: a good ending, and a bad ending. Both endings lead to two differents stories. The good ending will lead to Generation of the Fairies and the bad will lead to the Fall of the Fairies trilogy, which is consisted of three books: Fall of the Fairies, Chapter of the Aeons, and Rise of the Demons, not to mention that the FotF trilogy will be a crossover fiction, mixing together Final Fantasy X/X-2 (the one with Tidus and Yuna if you don't already know), ToZ: Ocarina of Time, Time Gate, Kingdom Hearts, and Tales of Symphonia. The story's plotline also takes place in a future society, much more advanced than our own. Generation of the Fairies however, will only take place sixteen years after Time Gate, but I'm not going to tell you any more than that for the sake of keeping everything a secret for you to look forward to. However, I will tell you this: both stories, no matter good ending or bad ending, end with good endings (? I hope you all made sense of that, read that sentence again if you have to. . .) So the heroes win in the end of both (Or do they? You'll just have to find out. . .) I will submit the first chapter of both Generation of the Fairies and Fall of the Fairies so that you can choose which one to read first, depending which path you chose. And don't worry, the bad ending of Time Gate doesn't involve anyone DYING. Be thankful for that, cause' I sure am :D

Okay, as a last note, I'd like to thank the following authors for keeping up with the story so far and have put up reviews or made me want to write on FanFiction:

Rose Zemlya (Author of The Legend of Zelda: The Return, probably one of the best Zelda fanfics ever. You were and still are a big inspiration Rose, and I'm thankful to have found your story and met you. I actually found your story through a drawing on DeviantArt. Thank the lord for that.)  
jioplip (Author of Legend of Hearts, a Legend of Zelda/Kingdom Hearts fanfic, also very good. I also thank him for putting up the best reviews EVER! Thank you so much for the support!)  
ElementUchihaMaster (Author of several Kingdom Hearts, Naruto, Legend of Zelda, and Super Smash Bros. fanfics, including The Three Musketeers, Ask the SSBM Characters, Ask the Uchihas, and The Dark Unknown. Thanks for being such a constant reviewer!)  
Satashi of the Muffins (Author The Legend of Zelda: Twenty Days, which has not been submitted to the site yet, but according to Satashi, is a work in progress and will be on the site soon, which I am looking forward to. Thanks for the kind words in your review, Satashi-chan!)  
To all the authors that added Time Gate to their favorites for one reason or another, you know who you are.

Also I must add one more thing: this half of Time Gate, although not as bad as Fall of the Fairies, is going to be much darker. (OMG, darker than the Kyodai no Akuma arc?) Yes, darker than the Kyodai no Akuma arc. It is rated M for safety, due to violence, a bit of romance, and of course, more SWEARING. Not too bad though, just a few swear words here and there. And not just violence, swearing, and romance either, the entire storyline has this dark trait to it that I can't explain. . . of course, the Fall of the Fairies trilogy will probably be even worse for that dark trait. I'm planning on having somebody die, I don't know who yet, but just keep an eye out for that, although I am still unsure of this decision. . . I'll have to decide sooner or later. Fall of the Fairies is going to be much darker because of extreme violence, and change in character roles (Link starts off almost like a villain in the beginning).

Okay, I know that some of you REALLY hate author's notes, if not, then I hope you're satisfied with the results of where Time Gate is going to go, and I really hope you all enjoy the second half of Time Gate! (I'm also trying hard not to make this opening chapter too long by adding this monster of an a/n). Thank you all so very very much, and review if you ever have the time to. Also, I have online drawings of Time Gate and Fall of the Fairies on RateMyDrawings, you can find them under the username linkreaper1987. I am constantly updating, so go ahead and check out my drawings anytime you like! If you can't seem to find the drawings, tell me, and I'll send you the link :D

Enjoy!

Uzuki Cheverie

**Time Gate: The Adult Chapters**

**Chapter 1: When Life Gives You Lemons, Punch the Idiot Who Threw the Lemons at You in the Face**

_People change._

_So do enemies._

_We cannot stop change, or the time that makes change._

_However, one thing that should never change. . ._

_. . . are our goals. Even if we have to outrun time itself._

_We will change._

_And we will fight._

_We will outrun the Goddess of Time herself, until we are at our last breath to fight._

_And we will keep fighting._

_Until time can run normally without people being afraid of the creatures of the twilight._

_This we promise._

Lonely.

That's just one of the words that describes 'me'.

There's also bored, sad, a joker, stupid, clueless. . . but now I'm just looking at the bad side of things.

I should be _happy_, shouldn't I? I mean, I'm funny, handsome (in my opinion at least), fun to talk to, courageous, and daring.

Hm, I really don't know. . .

I snatch the shimmering blue crystal from around my neck, and a clock face arises from the glass surface. Silver lines depicting clock hands are moving around the circle, the whole thing appearing to be a floating blue clock.

"Hm, I have thirty minutes to get this done. . ." I calculate to myself. "I can use ten minutes to scout out the area. . . gah, I need a pen." I don't waste any time in whipping out a pen from my pocket, and I begin writing line numbers on my arm. "Ten minutes to scout. . ." I draw an 'X' on my arm. "And five minutes to analyze what I'm fighting. . ." I draw a 'V' next to it, but just far enough away so that I can differ the two completely different subjects. "That leaves me with fifteen minutes to deal with whatever I'm fighting. . ." I draw another 'V' sign and then throw my pen back into its spot in my jacket pocket. ". . . fifteen minutes enough to kick its sorry ass goodbye." I drop my crystal, allowing it to resume its position around my neck.

I reach up to my neck and grab the thick goggles that are tied over my shoulders. I pull them over my eyes and smile to myself. I shove my hand into my pocket and pull out a pocketwatch as I count down the time.

"Scouting, gross. . ." I sigh, almost as if I had forgotten my entire schedule in less than a minute. "I hate it so much. . ." But, I have no choice but to deal with it, so I start to scan over the area. I look up in the trees first to make sure there's nobody hiding above me. One third of the population of trees here are pine; the other two thirds are oak and maple. There isn't much grass here, but it's just in this specific area alone, almost as if the grass has been pounded down by some strong, heavy stone. When I look ahead, I also see that some of trees that used to be closer together are now pushed to the side like weak twigs, some of their roots being pulled up from the earth. I also notice that there is hardly any wildlife around. It's as if there was a giant earthquake, and all of the woodland creatures had escaped to safety.

This doesn't look good at all. Had this test really been prepared so dangerously, causing everything in this forest to be destroyed? They had really taken themselves a bit too far this time. . .

I check my pocketwatch again, and I see that exactly five minutes have passed. Onto analyzing. This thing that I'm fighting is obviously gigantic. If it's what caused the craters in the ground, then it must be made from stone too. And it's probably also the cause of the pulled up trees.

I look up to the sky once, and then I decide to travel a little deeper into the forest. Because this thing is so big, it obviously travels slowly, so it couldn't have gotten far. I begin to hum a little song to myself as a walk deeper into the woods, climbing over and crawling under fallen trees, and walking across nearly dried up ponds. This monster, this simple little test, has really messed up the ecosystem around here. . .

The only problem is that I can't seem to figure out what I'm fighting. It's obviously something I haven't fought before, and I know that I should know it. . . it just won't come to me. . . I check my pocketwatch again to see that I have seventeen minutes; two minutes to spare. I sigh in defeat and I rest against one of the big moss-covered trees that are still alive and standing in one piece. I guess that whatever I'm up against wasn't big enough to take down this one tree.

"Augh, this is taking too long. . ." I mutter to myself. Being 'me', I hate to waste time. Being with the Time Keepers for such a long time, I can't stand having to do pointless things; things like this. I'd rather jump right into the action and get things done quickly and efficiently. I spot a bird sitting on a tree branch not to far from me. I watch it for a few seconds, enjoying a moment of peace, but then it suddenly flies off, like it's in a real hurry. That can't be good. . . the birds and animals of this forest are usually calm, and they never leave a place right away. But being in the Dark Realm, there are probably a million things to be aware of, things that you know you shouldn't stay near. After being in the Dark Realm for so long, I know that feeling of insecurity and danger.

Then I hear a twig snap from nearby. My ears perk up the moment they hear it, so I'm alerted early and ready to move. The first thing I do is jump to my feet, a kunai ready in my hand. I look around, but there's nothing. Normally in a situation like this, if it hadn't been an enemy, it would have been something retarded, like a squirrel, or another bird. But this time, there was literally nothing there.

I sit back down against the hard mossy tree, but I'm finding it hard to get comfortable; not that I need to be or anything in case something attacks. But the surface of this tree doesn't feel right. It feels much rougher than bark, and I can feel small ridges in it, like cobblestone.

I take a deep breath before tilting my head up, gazing up at the sky. Instead of seeing the sky though, I find myself staring into two huge, white, glowing eyes.

Good Goddess Din.

I swear under my breath even more as I jump to my feet and start backing away from the horrible creature. The Time Keepers had really challenged me this time, and I was flipping pissed off.

As I run for my life from the monster, I clumsily grab my C.T. crystal again and contact Uzuki. Kon shows up on the screen instead.

"Kon? What the hell is going on here?" I scream. "I asked for something hard, but not _this _hard! Where's Uzuki?"

Kon gave me a look of unsureness. "Uh, I hate to tell you this Link, but there's been a change of plans. . ."

"WHAT?" I scream even louder.

"Yeah, um, Uzuki and Mitsuhiro decided to put your battle with all the Time Keepers and a monster together as one. . ."

"What the hell? I can't deal with that! Where's Uzuki?"

"Hm, according to what she said, she should be right behind you. . ."

I immediately and angrily turn off the crystal, and then I spin around, carefully running backwards (it's actually more like skipping at this point, just so I don't trip and fall). I look up at the monster, and I can see Uzuki standing on its stone head, a wide and satisfied grin on her face.

"Uzuki, you ass!" I scream at her as I ran. Luckily I was much faster than the creature.

"Now now, that's no way to speak to your elders," she laughs psychotically. She holds up one finger at me. "Test number one, Link! Name off the creature that you are battling and its battle history."

"Gah, I can't take this!" I yell, spinning around so that I'm no longer backwards and can run faster.

"Wrong answer!" She snaps her fingers. "Penalty number one!"

What, there's suddenly a penalty? I spin my gaze forward, only to be met by Yashiro's truck of a fist. I fall back in sheer pain, holding my now broken nose.

"That's for denying an answer!" Yashiro laughs at me, her fist covered in my blood.

"Augh, dammit!" I scream as I hold my nose in pain. I grab it with both hands, and then in one quick movement, trying to make it as painless as possible, I snap it back. I groan in pain, but I can breath again at least. I see that the monster is slowly gaining on me, now closer than before. I push past Yashiro and start running again.

"Penalty number two!" Uzuki declares. Crap, what did I do this time? I keep running, trying not to get hit by anymore traps, but soon a bandage flies out from nowhere and wraps itself around my foot, pulling me closer and closer to the monster. I see Mitsuhiro sitting next to Uzuki, the same bandage wrapped around his arm.

"That's for running from something you know you can defeat!" Mitsuhiro snickers as he pulls me closer and closer to the monster. "Stand up and fight, you coward!"

I really can't take this anymore.

"Come on Link, all you have to do is answer the simple bestiary question!" Uzuki encourages. "It's simple first year stuff!"

I take out a kunai and slash the bandage into two, freeing myself from its grip so I can run again.

"Penalty number three!"

I can't even begin to think about this penalty before I'm blown back by some strange force; a strange force that could only belong to Shuto's flute. I'm knocked back onto the ground, holding my ears in pain from the extremely loud music. The monster gets closer and closer.

"And that's for not even answering a simple question!" Shuto laughs as he pokes me with his flute. "Now are you going to start running again, or do we need to create a fourth penalty? It's so bad that we haven't even had to use it yet!"

Crap, there's no way in hell that I want that. I've been through so many bad things, punishments for doing something wrong. And now they had come up with a fourth penalty, probably the penalty created by the Devil himself.

I guess I really have no choice but to answer the question. I get up off the ground, but instead of running, I turn to face Uzuki and her crazy monster.

"Are you going to answer the question, Link?" she asks me, a bigger smile on her face now.

I think back to all the books I had read in the past five years with them. I think past all the history, language, tradition and strategics books, until I remember the one bestiary book that I had always loved and used every day: "Bestiary of Hyrule". It was there that I had researched about a creature such as this, a giant monster depicting another animal like a lion, or a boar, who was completely made out of stone and had the ability to possess other people with their shadows of Souls.

I wave up at Uzuki, telling her that I'm ready to answer. "Colossus, number one in the weight class! Has the ability to possess people's Souls and are commonly found around ruins and old castles!"

Uzuki claps her hands at me, a happier smile on her face. Although it's hard to tell what she's really feeling with those big sunglasses covering her eyes.

"Good job Link, you've been studying! But why are you so scared of them? They aren't that big. . ." She shakes her head. "Here we go, test number two!" She holds up two fingers. "Find Mitsuhiro-san!"

I raise my eyebrow in confusion, and I soon realize that Mitsuhiro is gone now. Mitsuhiro, as you may already know, is the camouflage master of the group. He can fool anybody into thinking he's in one spot or another, when he's really somewhere else. The only problem with looking for Mitsuhiro in the middle of the woods is. . . well, he's always wearing tuxedos, and he has really bony limbs, so when he hides in the woods - and if he's seen - he looks too much like the Kyodai no Akuma scouts. And that was a living hell for _all _of us.

"Wait, before you go looking for him!" Uzuki yells, stopping me in my tracks. "Um. . . you're not just going to go look for Mitsuhiro while you fight this thing, right? I mean, I don't like these guys as well as you do, so. . . find Mitsuhiro quickly. You should be able to find him in less than five minutes.

Great, now I have to scan the entire woods in five minutes looking for a guy that can blend in with environment like Shuto, Uzuki and Yashiro can blend in with a crapload of manga geeks.

So, the first thing I do is grab my C.T. crystal, and I contact Mitsuhiro. He always has his set to ring if he's not on a mission, so if anyone calls him when he's off the job, it will ring with a really loud annoying sound that almost sounds like a child's scream. . . only much sharper, louder, and creepier. Mitsuhiro has strange tastes in sounds and music.

I listen carefully for Mitsuhiro's terrible C.T. crystal ring, and I soon here it not too far from here. I smile to myself, grateful that Mitsuhiro hadn't turned off the ring, and I begin running into the direction of the sound. But then again, I start to get the feeling that he's playing a trick on me and the crystal is actually just sitting by itself on the ground somewhere. . . that would surely piss me off big time.

The ringing suddenly ends, which probably means that Mitsuhiro has realized what happened and caught on to my little trick. It doesn't matter, I'm close enough to him anyways. I examine the area around me. There are way more trees here, which means it will be even harder to find him. Mitsuhiro always knows how to blend in with trees. It's because of his dark way of dressing and his ability to stand completely still, barely even breathing.

I cautiously look around, aware that he could attack me at any moment. Just because Uzuki said that "You have to find Mitsuhiro" doesn't mean that Mitsuhiro can't just go ahead and find me. I hear a few rustles around me, but they're just leaves rustling in the wind. But after being outside for this long. . . I realize that there is no wind.

I spin around, and I see Mitsuhiro.

Impaled on a tree branch.

I can't help but scream in terror.

**

* * *

**

A Short Interlude

Uzuki buttons up her long fur-collared jacket, warming herself from the sudden chill of the outdoors. She sneezes once before pulling out a tissue and blowing her nose.

"Blech, I'm not used to being outside so much. . ." she sniffles. "I should be back inside, where it's warm. . ."

Mitsuhiro jumps up next to her, uttering the woods, "Boo." Uzuki jumps into the air in surprise, and then whacks Mitsuhiro in the shoulder when she finds out it's him.

"Don't do that!" Uzuki scolds him. "I can't take it when people sneak up on me like that!"

"Which is why I did it," Mitsuhiro snickers.

"Hey, where's Link?" Uzuki asks, looking around and trying to locate her teammate.

They hear a scream.

"Ah, that's probably him now," Mitsuhiro laughs under his breath.

". . .What did you do?" Uzuki asks suspiciously, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, just a little illusion to get his blood worked up a bit. We want him to be prepared for anything, don't we?"

Uzuki sighs, shaking her head, and then sits back down on top of constantly moving head of the colossus. She didn't like them either; in fact, she was terrified of them. But she knew Link was terrified of them too, which was the main reason why she had chosen them for his test. She had to choose something that he had to learn how to defeat. . . of course, in a way, colossi weren't very difficult to defeat at all. They were actually extremely stupid. But they were big and intimidating, and if you screwed up once, you could end up like a pancake under one of their stone feet.

Mitsuhiro stares at Uzuki before poking her in the forehead. "Why don't you take those glasses off? You shouldn't wear those all the time, I can't see your eyes past them."

"I happen to really like these glasses," Uzuki replies. "My purpose for always wearing them is of no importance."

"Hm, whatever you say. . . just get a glimpse of the sunshine every now and then, okay?"

Uzuki smiles and nods at him, and then stares off into the forest, where another scream shatters the silence between the two.

**

* * *

**

Chapter 1 (continued)

I feel like throwing up. I know that this is an illusion, it has to be. . .

But I can't help but get sick. This was one the most worst things I had _ever_ seen in my life. Even the sight of the Kyodai no Akuma would be comforting compared to this. This was just sick.

I back away from the illusion, wanting to take my eyes off it, but I can't seem to. It's so horrifying that I want to look away, but I have the feeling that I should keep looking. It's like a horror movie, when you just want to close your eyes but you still also want to see the ending, and you have no choice but to keep watching and hold onto someone else for dear life.

"Mitsuhiro, you sick twisted bastard. . ." I hiss under my breath before turning around and leaving. He had actually _used _the C.T. crystal trick against me, and he had turned the tables on me, making me the coward who wanted to run and hide. I have no choice but to beat the colossus first. Mitsuhiro can rot in the forest for all I care.

When I make it back, I realize that the colossus had been following me, and it was very slowly making progress. I guess it just didn't realize that Uzuki was sitting on its head.

I grab the sword handle that's protruding from the sheath tied to my back, and I pull it out, revealing the sharp, white, shimmering blade. Now that I'm older, it's as light as a feather, and it's not even the same size as me anymore. I hold my sword up, facing down the colossus, my small blue eyes staring deep into the glowing, round white orbs of the colossi's eyes.

"Hold it!" Uzuki snaps at me in a sharp voice. "You can't just fight the colossus by itself!"

What, are they actually going to give me backup? Because that would be a big help. . .

"You have to fight all of us at the same time!" She raises her arms, and the rest of the Reapers rise their heads and bodies from the shadows of the twilight, including Mitsuhiro.

Point taken, don't trust Uzuki when you're in need of something. Cause' she'll only bite you back and things will only get worse.

I sigh to myself in defeat, and decide to accept the horrible truth of what she has just said. Then I prepare my sword again, with a taunting look on my face. I charge at the monster, keeping an eye on all of the Reapers while I do so that they don't make any sudden movements. I see that Mitsuhiro is gone again, which is never a good sign.

"Bring it on, and I can take all of you!" I declare as I get closer and closer to the colossus, who has now aware of my existence. The monster lets out a loud shriek before lumbering towards me, its body causing small tremors in the earth with each big step. I try to avoid the shockwaves that are being sent out from its feet, and I soon make it to the base of its front left foot. The moment I'm about to climb up onto it though, Mitsuhiro appears out of nowhere and sends me flying with an elbow to the face. I look up at him, his body melting into the colossi's leg with a horde of shadows, a wide smirk on his face.

"Come on, is that all you've got?" he taunts me, holding his hands out as if inviting me in.

What a jerk. Of course I would end up falling for something like that though. Mitsuhiro's tricks. . . each new one was impossible to avoid the first two or three times, and even if you did learn the trick, he would very quickly come up with a new one to use, each one trickier than the last.

I realize that all I have to do is get on the colossus, find its weak spot, and then kill it. If I manage in doing that, I just have to take care of the Reapers, and then I'm done. Easy as beating up a Deku Baba. . . all I have to do is make it up on the colossi's back without slipping up and getting knocked off again, or getting stomped on by one of the colossi's humongous feet.

I start to run towards it again, and this time I manage to climb up its stone surface, all the way to where it meets the torso. Then I hear a yell, and I see Yashiro flying at me at full speed like some kind of ravenous vulture, her fist ready to meet my face. I quickly grab onto the fur underneath the colossi's belly, and I swing myself onto it, just barely avoiding her attack by a centimeter. My quick-thinking saved me that time. But I can't afford to get knocked off again, especially if it's Yashiro that knocks me off, because it would take longer to recover, which means more of a chance of getting turned into a human pancake by the colossus.

I swing myself back onto the leg and climb up as quickly as possible before Yashiro can charge at me again. I'm on the colossi's shoulder now. The marking on its body - it's weak spot - should be on its back, considering the type of colossus it is. I bring my sword up, and I bring it back down into the surprisingly soft flesh of the creature, black blood immediately coming up and spraying my sword. The colossus reacts, and begins to shake its body like crazy, trying to knock me off. I have no choice but to grab onto its fur and hold on for dear life. When its finished, I take my sword and stab it a second time, the wound getting bigger and more blood spraying out. The colossus gets mad again and begins to shake its body in attempts to knock me off. I tightly grip the fur, until my body swings towards the creature's head. The swing of my body from the shaking is so violent that I end up losing my grip on the sword, sending it flying somewhere off that I can't see. When the colossus stops shaking, the marking disappears; I have to find a new one now. But first, I try to locate my sword. It's on the colossi's head.

Right by the new marking.

Coincidence?

I jump up to my feet before the colossus has another chance to attempt to knock me off, and I charge up its rough furry body, until I make it to the neck. I'm so close to reaching my sword. . .

. . . until I get kicked right in the face. I fall backwards, doing a backwards somersault before stopping on the shoulder of the colossus. I see Uzuki with her arms crossed, a wide smile on her face as always.

"You didn't think I'd let you off so easily, did you?" she asks me in a joking voice. I stare angrily at her, the reflecting lenses of her sunglasses peering back at me. "You've got another thing coming, kiddo."

Darn it, I have no time for Uzuki's 'words of wisdom'. I have a colossus to defeat!

Uzuki takes her hand and flips the left side of her hair once, a sneering look on her face. "Fight me, if you think you can defeat me!"

I have no choice but to jump back up to my feet at her invitation. I put my sword away, knowing it's not the best weapon to use in a fight against her. I prepare my hands in the position she had taught me so many years ago, and I wait for her to make the first move.

Uzuki cracks her neck once before lunging at me, her long, black, fur-collared jacket whipping behind her. I begin to charge at her as well, both of us running at each other with ideas of what to do first. I bring one of my hands forward to strike, and she leaps into the air, flipping above me like an experienced acrobat, her legs finally meeting my back and kicking me forward onto the ground. She lands on her hands before cartwheeling herself safely on her feet. Then after that, she brushes herself off like she's just played a simple game of soccer.

"Is that all you've learned? Geez, you need some serious training to do. . ." Uzuki taunts, holding her hands up again.

I spin back onto my feet again and I charge at her once more, this time ready for her tricks. I flatten my palms out, straightening my fingers, and I bring my right hand up to strike her. She brings up her arm as well, blocking my strike. Both our hands are glowing with the energy of our Souls as we attack each other, our hands and arms blocking each other's attacks and the light of our hands bouncing off our skin like flames each time our Soul powers come into contact with each other. I soon found an opening, and in less than a second I had stricken her stomach, my Soul power hitting her organ, causing blood to explode out from her mouth. I twist myself away from her, keeping my defense up with my hands held high in front of me.

The corner of Uzuki's mouth twitches, until she smiles a wide, crooked smile, baring fangs the size of multiple sharp rocks. Great, the one thing that I didn't want happening had happened in less than a minute; I had pissed Uzuki off. Fighting Uzuki in a regular sparring match wasn't all that bad. The best part about it was that she made it _fun_. But the problem was what her mood was like. Fight her when she's in a good mood, and you're safe, but get her pissed off. . . you're going to have a lot of hell to deal with.

"Uzuki, calm down, it's just a battle!" I yell at her, not wanting to face her punishment. She doesn't listen to me though, and she immediately grabs the front flap of her jacket, pulling the opening away to reveal a thick swarm of Keese flying towards me. I can see the very tiny notepad and pencil attached to her arm underneath the sleeve. The bats all fly towards me like a thick cloud, their black bodies surrounding me and blinding my vision. I hate Keese, they're one of the most annoying creatures in the entire world. I notice that some of them are on fire too. I can't let those ones touch me.

Before I can even have a chance to fend the annoying creatures off, Uzuki reaches inside her jacket and pulls out a bigger sketchpad and a pencil. She furiously begins to draw on the paper, the pencil in her hand a long orange blur. She has a crazy look in her eyes as she finishes the drawing, throws the sketchpad to the ground, and lunges at it, placing her hands on the paper. Colors of blue and gold explode from the drawing, revealing. . . Mitsuhiro.

"Hey, that's a terrible hiding spot!" I yell after I've killed the last Keese. I look at Mitsuhiro with an angry look. "I never would have found you there!" Mitsuhiro gives me a serious look, telling me to get ready for battle. I bite my lip, and I reach for the handle of my sword. I pull the weapon from its sheath, its silver metal gleaming in the golden light of the Dark Realm.

Mitsuhiro grins at me, and also reaches for his weapon. He wraps his fingers around the bandaged handle of his katana, and slowly pulls it from its hoslter. I stare at his sword in fear; it's like the hatred and blood-lust of the Kyodai no Akuma is staring back at me with its deep red eyes. I shiver as I look at the blade of the katana, and then I look at Mitsuhiro, who is still holding the same crazy, blood-lust smile on his face. Those two are one and the same.

"So, I have to fight both you and Uzuki now at the same time, huh?" I ask. "Quite a challenge. . ."

"If you can't beat the leader and second-leader of the Time Keepers, then you'll never be strong enough to lead all four of us," Mitsuhiro states coldly.

"Shoot," I snicker. I hold my sword back as I charge at the two Reapers, as determined as ever to defeat them in this battle. Mitsuhiro and Uzuki move closer to each other, so that Uzuki's in the front and Mitsuhiro is in the back, both of their weapons held high. I swing my sword at them, and Mitsuhiro's katana comes up from behind Uzuki and to her front, blocking my attack. Mitsuhiro is holding Uzuki back like he's trying to protect her, which he probably is.

"Come on, let Uzuki fight for herself, would you?" I hiss, and bring my sword back up again. This time Mitsuhiro blocks it with the Time Distorter wrapped around his arm. He's now clutching Uzuki under his arms. I can see Uzuki's eyes glaring at me from beneath her sunglasses. She smirks, and then lifts Mitsuhiro's arms.

"The kid's right, let's not hold back on him so much," Uzuki snickers. "We should try harder."

Mitsuhiro smiles at her, and then she stands next to him, her scythe appearing from a burst of light and black blossoms in her hands. She lifts it above her shoulders with one hand, and then points at me.

"Give it all you've got, kid," she laughs.

Now I'm pissed at them for continuously calling me a kid. I back up and then charge at them again with my sword. Uzuki brings her scythe up in front of her, blocking my attack. I'm not done yet though. I keep swinging at her, and she keeps blocking, the sound of our metal weapons clanging against each other ringing throughout the entire forest. She keeps backing up as I strike her, giving a fair amount of room between the two of us. Uzuki suddenly jumps back, and she rips out a bandage from the small holster on her belt. She flicks her wrist, and the bandage whips out to me, wrapping itself around my ankle and pulling me onto my back on the colossi's fur. When I look up from the ground, I see Yashiro flying down at me, her fist held right in front of her and ready to strike. She lands right next to me, grabs my neck and begins to punch me in the face like there's no tomorrow.

"Take this!" Yashiro screams, and punches me in the face for a third time, this time really hard. I can feel my nose break again.

When she lets her guard down again to prepare another punch, I take my hand and punch her right back in the face, knocking her back in surprise. I take the chance to flip backwards back onto my feet. Yashiro charges at me, and I dodge her attack, straightening my palm out and drilling my fingertips into her stomach. Blood spurts out from her mouth. I take the chance to drive my fingers into her neck, shortening her breathing patterns and knocking her back even farther. She regains her balance, and bends down to catch her breath.

"Had enough?" I ask, daring her to fight more. She growls at me and then charges again. This time I dodge her continuous punches, running backwards so that I don't get to close. When I dodge again, I swing around and strike her right in the side, knocking her over to the left. But before she can fall to the ground, I shift myself over so quickly so that I'm underneath her, and I strike her right in the neck. She yelps for a quick second, and then falls to the ground in unconsciousness.

"One down, three to go," I mutter to myself. I turn back to face Mitsuhiro and Uzuki again, but they're gone. I know this trick. I turn around to run and get off the colossus as quick as I can, but before I can make it, a shrill tune blows through my head like an explosion, knocking me back onto the colossi's body. I lift myself up to see Shuto standing right at the edge of the colossi's back, his flute gripped between his hands.

"Aw man, it's you. . ." I chuckle to myself. "Man, I know this trick, so don't go trying to play it on me."

Shuto laughs, and swings his flute over his shoulder, much like how Uzuki usually holds her scythe. "What trick?" he chuckles. "I'm just here to fight you, no tricks at all."

I suddenly feel myself getting colder, my body freezing up all on its own, like a ghost has walked through me. I look at my hands, and I see the ice growing over my skin like frost.

"Didn't say I wasn't going to use magic though. . ." Shuto chuckled.

I look down at my legs and the ice that's growing over my boots and clothes. I smile at Shuto's choice of fighting, to use magic. I decide that I'm only going to defeat him by using the same thing, so I warm up my Soul power to my entire body. Then I clasp my hands together.

"Din's Fire," I declare in a low voice. Fire explodes on my arms first, and then it spreads around my entire body like a snake, melting all of the ice on contact. When the ice is all gone, I dismiss the fire with another clasp of my hands. Shuto is clapping his hands at me.

"Good job," he congratulates. "But unfortunately, you're going to have to do more than that to prove you're worthy of leading us." He swings his arms around in front of his body, twisting his waist and changing his position. Ice begins to engulf his arms, covering over his skin without freezing it. He prepares his fists, the ice jumping off his knuckles like steam.

I do the same thing, except instead of ice, I use fire. We both start charging towards each other, flames and ice being left behind on the colossi's body from where our steps used to be. He brings his fist up, and I bring up mine, our punches meeting each other in a clash of fire and ice. Our magic power deflects off of each other, and we bring our punches back again, continuously swinging our magic-charged fists at each other. He ends up punching me a few times in the shoulders, freezing up my clothes and skin. But I counter with a few blows to his chest, his own body catching on fire and burning through the fabric of his t-shirt. We keep punching at each other, and he soon lands an attack on my face, freezing up the side of my jaw and paralyzing my movements for a split second. I quickly swipe my fiery hand across the growing ice on my face, and it melts, the water running down my neck.

When Shuto punches again, I duck down, and instead of using fire, I quickly switch my magic power so that it changes to lightning, the electricity circling my palm like a sphere. I bring my hand back and then push it straight into Shuto's torso, sending the electricity all through his body. Shuto's head jerks up in shock, and now paralyzed from my attack, I kick him in the same spot, knocking him onto the ground. The electricity is jumping off his body like fireworks. I bend down so that I can see Shuto's face better, and then I pat his head.

"Thanks for the battle," I say before standing back up and turning around to face Uzuki and Mitsuhiro, who are now strangely standing back where they were as if nothing had ever happened.

"Amazing, you took down Yashiro and Shuto in less than fifteen minutes," Mitsuhiro says. "But we won't be so easy." The two of them raise their weapons, taking on their special battle formation. I want to take care of Uzuki first, so that it will make my battle with Mitsuhiro a lot easier. I charge at Uzuki, my sword ready to be swung, and I leap at her. She blocks my attack with her scythe, but I curve my body around so that I flip over and kick her in the shoulder, knocking her forward. I bring my sword back up to myself and I land safely on the hilt as the blade stabs into the body of the colossus. Having noticed the sudden pain, the colossus begins to jerk its body, trying desperately to knock us off. I hold on tight to the handle of my sword until it's done.

The first thing I do afterwards is grab my broken nose and crack it back into place again. I'm confident that the next time it breaks I won't be able to fix it again so easily. When I can smell again without feeling blood run out of it, I grab a kunai from the holster on my belt, and then I lift my sword from the colossi's body. Thankfully it doesn't notice this time. With two weapons in hand, I charge at Uzuki again, this time even more determined to defeat her than ever. The metal of my sword clangs against the blade of Uzuki's curved black scythe as the two of us glare at each other with lust for battle. She grips her scythe even tighter, and begins to push me down with her weapon. This is another trick that I've grown used to and have found a solution to. Uzuki lets go right at the last second, and zips past me, the scythe's blade slicing into my side. I fall back, but I immediately reach back and grab onto the girl's ponytail.

"W-What kind of game do you think this is?" Uzuki hisses at me.

_I've got to admit, that is foul play,_ Dex says to me.

_Oh, hello. Long time no talk,_ I reply. _I don't consider this foul play when we're in the middle of a death battle. _But then again, for Uzuki, it is a little unfair. She's been growing this ponytail for years, and she says that it's taken her forever to get it to look right. Oh well, I guess she's just going to have to overlook that problem and pay attention to the battle, right?

Knowing that she can't just rip the ponytail out of her head, she continues to resist, trying to pull herself away from my grip. But I'm not letting go. Half of this is too funny to watch.

"You jackass!" Uzuki swears in a loud voice, but despite her swearing I refuse to let go. "Ugh, you give me no choice!" She pulls out a windmill shuriken from the bag strapped to her belt. I widen my eyes at her. But she can't possibly be thinking of. . .

. . . she does just what I was afraid she would do. She uses the single closed blades of the windmill shuriken to slash at the base of her ponytail, ripping it right out of her head, leaving the remains of the ponytail in my hand. I drop it in shock as I stare at Uzuki's hair, the ends and top of her hair uneven from the sudden disappearance of her ponytail. And guess what Uzuki does? She lowers her head, and laughs a very low laugh. A psychotic laugh. I have made her snap. She turns to look at me, her eyes wild with insanity.

_Good job, now you've gone and pissed her off!_ Dex growls at me.

_Dammit, do you think I meant for that to happen?_ I scream back. _Just shut up and let me handle this!_

Uzuki spins around, and races at me with insanity in her eyes, her scythe flying behind her as she leaps into the air and lunges at me. The metals of our weapons meet again, blocking each other's attacks. She furiously continues to strike at me, so fast that I barely have time to think. But I manage to react in time and block all of her moves. When our weapons hit each other again, I flip out a kunai and I slash it across her stomach, blood flying from the thin but deep wound. She stops and looks down at the wound. Then she examines the rip in her fur-collared jacket.

_Dammit, you just made her even more angry!_ Dex screams.

Uzuki looks up at me, an even crazier look on her face, and she begins to swing her curved blade at me even faster, my blocks rendered useless as she pushes me farther and farther down the colossi's back.

_Dex, HELP ME!_ I panickly scream inside my head.

_Wow, that was faster than normal, _Dex laughs.

I look down at my hands and watch as the shadows creep along my fingertips and arms, covering over my brown jacket. They crawl up my back, and onto my face, and I can feel my teeth turning into fangs.

_Whoa, not that far buddy!_ I yell.

_Aw man. . ._

The shadows that are growing at my feet disperse, leaving me in just the normal demon form that I use sometimes in emergencies. Twilight begins to grow on the handle of my sword, until it grows out all the way to the tip of my blade. That's far enough to give me enough power to defeat Uzuki, and maybe Mitsuhiro.

"Can we get this over with. . .?" I ask in a depressed tone. "I'm tired. . ."

"Me too," Uzuki replies, raising her scythe. "Me too."

We charge at each other for the millionth time, our weapons clashing at each other, and before I know it, it's over.

I look down at Uzuki, who's laying on the ground, blood running down her side. I bend down next to her and rub her forehead.

"Thank you, Uzuki," I say in a quiet, soothing voice.

"Shut up, I'm not dying," she snickers.

"I know, but this is the last time that I'll be looking at you and Mitsuhiro as my leader. Next time you see me, I'm going to be _your_ leader."

She smiles at me, and then closes her eyes, letting herself rest until the battle is over.

I stand up, and I turn to face my best friend, and my rival, Mitsuhiro Minamimoto.

"You ready?" I ask him.

He cracks his neck. "Bring it on, Fairy Boy."

We smile at each other as we draw our weapons. Of course, the two of us had made a promise to Uzuki earlier that we would not take the battle too far like the time we fought for Mitsuhiro's Soul. This time, we would settle things quickly, and if things got too dangerous for one of us, then that person would surrender, no questions asked.

When I charge at Mitsuhiro, I throw my sword into the air, readying my fists right after I do and punching Mitsuhiro in the stomach. I can tell that he's going easy on me, but I don't want him to go all-out either. I bring my fist up again and strike him in the same spot, and then I bring up my other hand, straightened out, and I drill my fingers into his body.

"One pressure strike!" I declare. I rapidly drill my hands into the same spot of his body over and over again. I can see my sword falling back down. I have to hurry.

"Fifty-five pressure strikes!" I declare again. I keep striking his stomach, blood flying from his mouth. "One hundred fifty pressure strikes!" I finish off the move with a shove to the stomach with the palms of my hands, Soul power exploding like water ripples from my hands as they make contact with Mitsuhiro's body. He's blown back in an instant, allowing me to reach my hand up and grab my sword.

Mitsuhiro slowly begins to get back up, the blood running from his mouth like an endless waterfall. He coughs up a bit of blood before wiping his face with his arm, staining his skin with the color of scarlet. He takes the bottom of his tanktop and brings it up to wipe the rest of the blood off, soaking the bottom rim of his shirt.

"Don't like blood, huh?" I ask.

"Not _my_ blood," Mitsuhiro snickers. He runs at me again, and this time I put my sword away instead of throwing it into the air. I don't intend of using it in this fight. I'd rather show off my hand-to-hand fighting skills. When Mitsuhiro punches at me, I keep dodging his fists, until I get the change to grab one of his hands and twist his arm, pulling him to the ground. He stumbles, but he doesn't quite fall; I just need the chance to break his guard. I lift up one of my legs and smash his face into the back of the colossus, where the surface isn't fur but stone. I lift my foot and continously smash his face into the stone, creating a small crater. The colossus doesn't seem to notice, thank the Goddess Din.

When I'm done smashing his face in, I grab his hair, pulling him up from the stone, and then I punch him in the face, reeling him back. I don't let go of him though, and I keep punching him. He comes back to his senses soon though, and he dodges one of my punches, bringing one of his fists to punch me back. Like a blur, I quickly dodge it, letting go of him and disappearing so that I'm standing behind him. I bring up both my hands, charging up the Soul power and turning it into electric power. I bring one hand up to each side of his head, and I let the electricity explode between my palms where Mitsuhiro's head is, shocking his entire skull and brain cells. After I feel that he's had enough, I stop the flow of electricity and watch him fall to the ground. The blood circles his head like a ring from where it drains from his mouth and from where his head had nearly exploded from the electricity power.

I hear a shriek from the colossus. Right, I still gotta take care of this thing. Not a problem. . .

I draw my sword from its sheath again, and I walk up the back of the colossus to where its monstrous head is. I flip my sword like a baton, calmly walking to where the mark on its head is, and like its an everyday thing, I take my sword and plunge the blade straight through the marking. I can see the eyes of the colossus light up, its eyes becoming big circles of white. It's eye is even bigger than me. Not very big my ass, Uzuki. Black blood explodes from the wound, and the colossus begins to resist, but I don't let it do anything before I stab it again. I jump off its head and wave goodbye to it before walking away.

But then I remember something important.

Something that I overlooked, something that if forgotten, can lead to terrible consequences.

_"Okay, Link, so I'm going to teach you about the colossus," Uzuki says happily. "They are one of the biggest monsters out there, and the most horrifying to look at, but there is one thing you must always remember when fighting one."_

_"What's that?"_

_"If you ever kill a colossus, run for you life. When a colossus dies, its Soul escapes and tries to possess the person that killed it. So if you ever happen to kill a colossus, don't ask any questions, and don't stop running until you're sure the Soul is gone."_

I look back at the colossus, and I can see the black, translucent spirit rising up from the remains of the twilight-covered monster. I can hear soft cries coming from the spirit, the cries of the colossi's unfortunate death. I flinch, but then I run, knowing that if I don't get out of here soon, I could become the next colossus.

Run, run, run, run. Don't look back for anything. Just keep running. Don't stop for anything, don't look back, and run.

Unfortunately, a person only has about a two percent chance of escaping, and I'm only fifty feet away before the spirit catches up to me and latches onto my body. I cringe up in absolute pain, my vision blurring, and I fall heavily to the ground, the spirit finally getting close of my Soul. I crawl on the on the ground, pulling up the grass and trying to get away, but I soon feel the colossi's spirit latch onto my Soul like a hook, killing my breathing and causing me to faint to the ground.

Great, I had finally passed the test and become the new leader of the Time Keepers, and this happens.


	2. We're Not Alone

**Time Gate: The Adult Chapters**

**Chapter 2: We're Not Alone**

When I open my eyes, I'm surprised, yet thankful, to see that I'm still alive.

However, I'm tied to a chair, my shirt off and a soul-cleansing seal drawn on my chest.

I never thought I'd be in this situation. . . how ironic.

"Penalty!" I hear Uzuki yell. She comes at me and punches me right in the face, but I can't fight back because for one, I'm too weak to even think, and I also can't lift my hands because they're tied behind me against the chair.

"What the hell was that for?" I ask, spitting the blood out from my mouth from where she punched me.

"That's for leaving behind your comrades!" she growls, pointing at me. She adjusts the sunglasses on her face, and crosses her arms. "There's a good punishment for that, but we're going to turn it into a final test."

"Another test?" I yell. "Come on, give me a break here!" I feel another fist blow into my face, but this time it belongs to Yashiro.

"One day or another, you're going to find yourself in a situation like this, when you're forced to answer questions," Uzuki explains as she walks around the dining room. "Sort of like a hostage thing, you know what I mean?"

Great, interrogation lessons. Just perfect. And I know that they just made this test up last minute as a punishment for leaving them all behind like dead rats.

Yashiro grabs my bangs, pulling my head back.

"Alright, answer this question. Why did you run after the battle without getting us first?" Uzuki asks me.

"I didn't want. . . to be possessed by the colossus. . ." I grunt. It's hard to speak because my head is being pulled up by Yashiro's iron grip. She soon releases her hold on me though so she can punch me in the face.

"Yes, but shouldn't you at least try to put your comrades before yourself?" Uzuki asks me.

I look down at the floor, breathing heavily, trying to keep myself from fainting from that last punch.

Mitsuhiro and Shuto enter the room, the same crazy look in their eyes as Yashiro and Uzuki. Mitsuhiro cracks his knuckles, and I soon notice his singed hair. Wow, no wonder he's mad.

"Why do you want to save yourself so bad?" Uzuki asks.

"Like I said. . . I didn't want to be possessed by the colossus. . .!" I growl.

Mitsuhiro comes up and punches me across the face.

"Alright, I think he's had enough," Shuto says, defending me like he always does.

I let my head hang low so I don't have to look any of them in the eyes. "No. . . no, I made a mistake, so I deserve to be punished. . ." I hiss.

They all look at me, the same evil look in their eyes. Then I perk my head up, a smile on my face, and I flip myself completely backwards, landing on my feet. I bend down to one of my open holsters on my belt and I grab a kunai with my teeth. The Reapers all look at me in surprise, none of them carrying their weapons because they never expected me to fight back. I run at them, and I kick them all to the ground, some resisting more than others, until they're all lying on the floor in a heap. I let the kunai between my teeth drop to Uzuki.

"Cut the rope now, or your companions get it," I hiss.

Uzuki smiles at me, grabs the kunai, and then cuts the rope that's binding me. I set the chair down on the floor, still gripping the back seat with my hands from behind. Uzuki smirks, and suddenly swings the kunai at me, something that I was expecting her to do. Before she can hit me, I flip over the chair, using my hands as balance as I tightly grip the back seat. I bring the chair up as I float through the air, throwing it above Uzuki's head and pushing it back down, pinning her to the floor between the legs of the chair. I land softly on the wooden seat, and I smirk back at her.

"Ironic, isn't it?" I laugh. I pull out another kunai, and I hold it to her neck. I look at the other three Reapers with a serious gaze. "Make any sudden movements, and Uzuki dies."

The other members cringe in fear, but then I laugh.

"Ha, that's what I would say if I were fighting the Society," I chuckle. "But I love you guys too much to do that to you." I release the kunai from Uzuki's neck, and I stand back onto the floor, lifting the chair so Uzuki can get up. The rest of the Reapers get up as well, and they all smile at me.

"Wow, you're stronger than we expected," Yashiro says. "I didn't even know you had learned how to do something like that."

"I guess I've grown faster than you four thought," I mumble. I look down at the soul-cleansing seal drawn in black on my chest. "Thanks for getting rid of the colossus, Uzuki." I put away both kunais back into their holster, and I grab my shirt that's sitting alone on the table. When I get my shirt back on, I walk up to Mitsuhiro, and I eye the headband that's tied to his shoulder. It's a different headband from the one that had the 'x' sliced through it. I bring my hand up, grip the headband, and I rip it off from around Mitsuhiro's shoulder. I turn around, heading down the hallway in the direction of my room without saying anything, throwing off my old worn-headband and replacing it with Mitsuhiro's newer one. I smirk to myself as I open the door to my room and go inside.

**

* * *

**

A Short Interlude

"Hmm. . . is it just me, or did we train him a little _too_ much?" Mitsuhiro asks Uzuki, who's sitting at the table staring out the dining room window.

"Why do you ask that?" Uzuki replies. Mitsuhiro walks to the table and sits across from her.

"He acts a lot different now, if you haven't already noticed. The other day I asked him how he was doing, and he said, 'Does it matter?'."

"Give him a break Mitsuhiro, he's eighteen years old. Or have you been thinking he was still a kid all this time?"

Mitsuhiro doesn't respond. He simply switches his gaze to the left. Then he looks back at Uzuki. "Hey, you renewed the seal on him, right?" he asks cautiously.

"Don't worry about it, I renewed it the day before yesterday," Uzuki answers with a sigh.

"Good. If Dex gets to him like the Kyodai no Akuma did to me, we're going to have a hell of a problem on our hands."

Uzuki nods at him in agreement. She looks at Yashiro, who's entered the dining room from the kitchen with a bag of spicy quesadilla chips in her hand.

"Ha, Link so totally beat you," Yashiro snickers.

"Yes, thank you for reminding me," Mitsuhiro groans sarcastically. "Although, I'm worried about how he will lead us. . ."

"You shouldn't be worried, he's lead us a million times before," Uzuki assures. "Besides, he defeated you, Mitsuhiro. There's no turning back now."

"Well, I was going easy on him," Mitsuhiro objects.

"Yes, but even if you hadn't done that, he probably still would have won. That boy is like a killing machine, and I don't think there's anyone out there that can defeat him the way he is now."

The three Reapers hear a door slam, followed by Link walking out to the dining room.

**

* * *

**

Chapter 2 (continued)

When I come back into the living room, Mitsuhiro immediately leaves and comes back with a pair of scissors.

"What are the scissors for?" I ask nervously. "You're not planning to stab me or anything, are you?" Then I chuckle.

"No. Thanks to you, Uzuki needs her hair to be fixed up," Mitsuhiro replies as he stands behind Uzuki's chair.

"Thanks to me? It was Uzuki that cut her hair, not me."

"Yes, but you forced her into a situation to do so."

"And it took me so long to get my haircut the way I liked it too!" Uzuki yells, turning her angry gaze to me.

"Hey, don't move your head, otherwise your hair will come out even worse," Mitsuhiro growls.

"Sorry." Uzuki stares forward again. Her hair really is a mess now. Because she cut it with the ponytail still in, there are a lot of uneven ends and sprigs lying around. Although, I can't tell how angry she is what with the dark glasses covering over her eyes.

"Hey Uzuki, take them glasses off, would ya?" I ask her, poking her forehead. "You look like you're going to kill someone."

"I'm not taking them off," she mutters, shooing my hand away with hers. "I have a good reason for wearing them all the time."

"And what reason is that?"

Uzuki seems to look away from me for a moment and begins to look at Shuto. They exchange glances before she looks at me again.

"It doesn't really make much difference why I wear them all the time, now does it?" she mutters. "I just really like these glasses."

"Well, at least take them off when you go to bed and stuff!"

She laughs under her breath, and then takes off her fur collared jacket. Her sense of style and appearance has really changed in the past few years. She's always wearing this medium-length grey-black jacket that goes down to her knees, and it has light brown fur lining the collars of the sleeves, the large hood, and the bottom rim of the jacket. And when she takes off her jacket, you can see the revealing clothes underneath. Without the jacket, she's wearing a nearly skin-tight cotton shirt that goes pretty low on the chest and shoulders, and a pair of shorts that go only as high as possible, not even reaching close to her knees. She normally wears boots, but she can also be often caught wearing nothing but bandages on her feet. And strapped around her left leg is a kunai holster, along with shuriken holsters tied onto her belt. Her hair has grown out too, her red streaks gone, and it used to be quite long, but she didn't like it that way, which was why she always had it up in a ponytail, leaving two long strands of hair to hang in the front on her shoulders. Now that her hair is cut, she doesn't even have the two long strands of hair anymore. And she looks even older now with an adult-looking face. But she's twenty-one in human years, so I can't blame her for trying to look older than she is in Reaper years.

Mitsuhiro cuts off another little bit of hair with the scissors, trying to even it out so it looks decent again. Although the Reapers had said earlier that their kind did not age, he and the other Reapers had done an impressive job of making themselves look older. Mitsuhiro, now twenty-three in his human years, doesn't look much different, but he still has a strange look to him that makes him look much older. His sense of style hasn't changed much, but he doesn't seem to wear the tuxedos as often anymore; thoughts from the horrific events of the Kyodai no Akuma must still be trapped in his mind whenever he wears them. So when he's not wearing tuxedos, he's simply wearing a black tank top or muscle shirt with a pair of jeans. His black hair has grown out to reach lower than his shoulders, and sometimes, for fun, he'll tie it up into a small ponytail. However, despite the events of the Kyodai no Akuma that have come and gone, he still has a few haunting memories of what happened, and the demon is still resting inside of his katana. And not to mention the seal that Uzuki put on him is still there. Although she managed to make the seal a little less disturbing, there's still a big black blotched 'x' covering his left shoulder, with a few thorn designs running down his left arm.

I look at Shuto, who's lifting a weight while leaning against the wall. Don't get me wrong, but he's seriously the one that's changed the most out of all of us. Now that he's nineteen in human years (still a year older than me), his spiky hair has died down a little, although it still has a few spikes here and there. Shuto and Uzuki have given up on the 'spiky hair theory' and are just saying that the kid has naturally spiky hair. He's not as frail as he was before; in fact, he's the complete opposite. If you were to compare Mitsuhiro and Shuto, they would nearly look the same in weight class. Shuto's been working out for the past few years, so he now has muscles on his arms, making him look a lot bigger. I actually can't help but feel that he did get taller over the years, because no matter how tall I got, he was always just a little shorter. It may be impossible for them to grow older, but I guess they can still get taller.

Finally, there's Yashiro, whose style has changed a lot, and yet still probably the least over the past few years. Her hair now has blond streaks going through the two bangs on the side. She wears two different sets of clothing for either missions or just a normal day. For missions she wears a shirt without sleeves, but has a hood tied to it that hangs down her back shoulder blades. Along with the shirt, she wears a long dress-like skirt that has multiple pieces of cloth hanging off along with belts and holsters, with a few coins hanging off for decoration. The second thing she wears is what she often wears for missions, a leather jacket with jeans and knee-high black boots, with her hair sometimes tied back into a low ponytail.

As for Kon, nothing has changed for him. He still has the appearance of my childhood form, but he's starting to take on Uzuki and Yashiro's personality. He'll take on any chance to pull a prank on me. But even though he's still a child, Uzuki has managed to make him a bit taller, so he's now about the same height Shuto was when he was younger.

So, I guess I should explain to you what's been going on with me and the Time Keepers.

I'm actually eighteen years old now, a year older than the age I was when I first lifted the master sword eight years ago. And as you can see, I'm now also the new leader of the Time Keepers. That battle with the Reapers and the colossus was their test of proving my strength. If I defeated all of them, then I would become the new leader. Although, the colossus was a little unexpected. I was supposed to fight Shuto, then Yashiro, and so on, going up the list of members from weakest to strongest. If I survived each battle and came out on top, I would be the new leader. Apparently somebody got the idea that it was better for me to fight all four of the Time Keepers at once, with a huge colossus thrown in for kicks.

Anyways, I've been with the Reapers for about five years now. I don't stay here all the time though; I actually managed to get a house in Kakariko, one that nobody used or even wanted. No, not the Spider House, but a different house that was built next to it and deemed to be 'cursed' because of its location right next to the Spider House. I alternate between Kakariko and the Dark Realm depending on whether I want to train or if there are missions or not.

And of course, training with the Reapers for five straight years, I've gotten much stronger. I can now fight with Uzuki's pressure-point style and Yashiro's fist-style. Mitsuhiro and Shuto have been helping me with my Soul control and sword skills. Shuto has been mainly teaching me about magic and speed.

While living in Kakariko however, I've made some new friends. The children there always love to watch me train, and they're always asking me questions about my journeys (although I keep out the bits about the Reapers and the Dark Realm). They also usually ask if they can hold my sword or attempt to throw a kunai or shuriken. I'm happy to see that there are children out there that are willing to carry on our different fighting styles.

But even though I've gotten stronger and my friends, old and new, have been doing great, I still never actually found Dex, and I haven't seen the Deity in a couple years either, even though I go to the Temple of Time if I want to travel to the Dark Realm. The two have almost seemed to disappear off the face of the earth, and I'm getting worried. I can count on the Deity to stay out of trouble, but I don't want to take my attention from Dex too long. I'm still unsure of whether or not he's still a member of the Society. Either way, he's undoubtedly my enemy.

Also, I haven't seen Zelda since I was thirteen. I want to see her badly, and I sometimes look out for her when I'm in Castle Town, but I can never seem to find her. And half the time I'm too afraid about how she would react. Uzuki has been bugging me about going to visit Zelda for a while, telling me things like, "Would you hurry it up and go visit her? This is no way to treat a woman!". And I always respond with a 'no'. I'm just trying to gather up the courage to walk up to the castle and speak directly with her. The first thing I want to do is apologize for everything I've done. All I have to do is find the right words.

Other than that, I'm enjoying my time with the Time Keepers, and I want to cherish the moments forever. I'm glad I met the Reapers. I'm so grateful I followed Shuto's plan the first time I met him, in the woods on the outskirts of Clock Town. If I hadn't. . . I would probably be dead by now. And even so, the Reapers are like my family now; I watch out for them, and they watch out for me. I could never imagine life without them. We go through hardships together, we laugh together, we cry together. No matter how strange it sounds, the Reapers are like the brothers and sisters I never had.

And I'm forever grateful for that.

* * *

When I make it to my home in Kakariko, it's nearly nightfall. The hosue is small, but it has just enough space for me, and it's near an open space where I can train on my own. The inside is plain, with wooden floors and brick walls. Thin curtains hang over the very few amount of windows in the house, and there are two armchairs set up in the small living room, a stove next to one of them for when winter hits.

I drop my bag on the square wooden table in the kitchen, and then I stomp my foot on the floor. Miu comes running out to me from the living room. She's evolved into her second form now. Her black fur is completely white now, and the small tufts of hair she used to have on her head has now grown out into a beautiful white-blond mane, so silky and fine that it's like human hair. Her hair hangs over her eyes like long bangs, leaving her eyes to be seen only as round white dots. She has a big dog-like nose, and her paws have grown out too. And she's much bigger. When I bend down she's the same size as me. However, her C.T. crystal collar is gone, and she doesn't have the dragon wings anymore. I always forgot about those wings all the time though. And having wings didn't matter when she could run at ninety miles an hour and jump fifteen feet across things if she was going fast enough.

I squat down on my knees and pet her head, and she responds by licking me with her big tongue right on the cheek. Then she nuzzles my face with the side of her soft furry head.

"Li. . . nk. . ." she whispers in a soft melodic voice. I forgot to mention, for some reason, she can speak now. She can't really speak in full sentences because she's still learning, and her words are cut off sometimes and sound like a child's giggle half the time, but she's coming along really well with the speech.

"Aw, I missed you too," I laugh. "Anything interesting happen today?"

She shakes her head as if replying 'no'.

"Nothing at all? That's too bad, I've been bored and I would have loved to hear you tell me about your day."

She nuzzles my face again before I stand up.

"Boy, do I have a story to tell you though," I chuckle as I grab an apple out of the fruit basket on the table. "Guess who just beat Mitsuhiro, Uzuki, Yashiro, and Shuto all at the same time in a free-for-all battle?" I do a victory pose at Miu. She tilts her head. I guess she doesn't get the joke. "Me, that's who!" I laugh.

She almost appears to be smiling, and then she rubs her head against my leg as if to congratulate me.

"Not just them either, but a colossus too!"

She tilts her head again in confusion.

I sigh, and toss her the apple in defeat. She catches it between her sharp teeth, and lays on the floor to chew on it like a dog eating a bone, her tail swishing across the floor.

"Be bored about it now, but you're looking at the new leader of the Time Keepers," I sigh again. "Ah, what does it matter, you probably can't understand me anyways. . ." I shrug my shoulders and head back towards the door, ignoring my bag because I know I don't need it. Miu looks up at me.

"Li. . .nk. . .?" she asks, as if she were saying, "Where are you going?"

"I'm just going for a walk," I reply as I open the door. "If anything happens, don't be scared. Just hide where I told you, alright?"

She nods, and then resumes chewing on her apple. If there are any emergencies while I'm away, which there haven't been yet, thank goddess, I tell Miu that she should hide in the one place where no one can find her: in the stove. At least in there, if the invaders were to open the stove door, they would get a good surprise. And by good surprise, I mean a good chewing out of the face. Miu is kind and gentle, but she can be a vicious carnivore if she needs to be. And she knows how to put her strong powers to use, thanks to all the times she's watched me train in the past.

When I walk outside, the first thing I hear is a gunshot. There have been a lot more of those lately, and I'm getting worried. During the winter, there wouldn't be as many, but during spring and summer, like it is now, things would get really odd outside. We've even had a few light tremors in the earth in the past week. A lot of people are getting scared, and they even blamed those strange occurrences as the reason for Dampe's death. A lot of people think he had a heart attack because of the things that were happening out in the woods. Gunshots, small tremors, screaming, blood stained on the trees. . . things that I had not yet seen but knew were true because of the things I had been through. Of course, no one really knows the reason for Dampe's death, not even me. But I know where his grave is, thanks to my previous journeys, and I know that if I ever want to visit him, I could just go down the strange hole that's under his grave.

I soon realize that the gunshots are gone. Normally, screams and laughter would follow the gunshot, but even that hasn't happened. Something's definitely up.

"What should I do. . .?" I ask myself. "Hm, maybe I should. . ." No, I don't want to do that. Going to Hyrule Castle at a time like this is the most retarded idea ever. But. . . if I have to see Zelda, I might as well do it now, while it's peaceful, right?

_Stop being such a chicken and go see her already,_ Dex mutters.

_I-I know,_ I reply._ But I'm nervous. . . what if something bad happens?_

_You're just going to visit Zelda, nothing bad is going to happen._

_And if I run into the Society?_

_Dude, don't you know how strong you are now? Anyone from the Society would be terrified to pick a fight with you._

I guess I have no choice. On to Hyrule Castle Town.

* * *

**A Short Interlude**

Makoto puts his gun away into the holster on his belt, and begins walking through the shortcut that lead to Hyrule Castle Town, the rest of the group following close behind.

"Man, those guards are lazy as anything," Makoto sighs. "They can't even handle something as simple as this! I say we turn around and abandon them. . ."

"Deal with it, Makoto-kun, this is what we strive to do, isn't it?" one of the female group members says. "Besides, it would be nice to prove to those fat asses who's on top."

"Wow, such language coming from a person like you," Makoto laughs. "It's weird."

"Whatever, let's just get moving," the second female group member hisses. "Besides, we wouldn't want 'them' to get there before we do, now do we?"

Makoto sighs tiredly as he steps out into the park of Hyrule Castle Town.

"Well, I'm guessing we got here first," Makoto mutters. "And even if they come, we'll just rip 'em to shreds."

"Understood," the huge man chuckles.

* * *

**Chapter 2 (continued)**

Well, here I am, in Hyrule Castle Town, stuck with a bunch of other crazy, loud city people, trying to come up with ways to speak with Zelda. And half of the words I'm just hating right now. Sentences such as, "Hi, Zelda, uh. . . remember me?" and "Zelda! It's me!" keep replaying through my mind, some of them as silly as, "Guess who?". I'm very much regretting it now. But I've fought creatures that can only be imagined in people's nightmares, done things that are still scary to think about. . . so it shouldn't be that hard to speak to an old friend, right?

Hmph, easier said than done.

But, like Mitsuhiro always says, "There's no turning back now, so we might as well keep walking forward.". At least that gives me a bit more confidence. But I'm still scared out of my mind. I'm just hoping that I can get a conversation with her, what with her being busy as the Princess of Hyrule and everything.

Soon, before I can even manage to turn around in hesitation, I find myself in front of the bridge of Hyrule Castle. The guards haven't stopped me, which probably means that they amazingly still remember me. Or maybe they just don't want to get off their asses to bother to stop me. Heh, lazy dudes. . . they've really let themselves go. Some of them are okay, but those are just the ones that escort Zelda as traveling guards if she needs to get somewhere. But that barely ever happens.

"Well, here goes nothing. . ." I say to myself as I walk across the bridge and into the castle. I find myself in the throne room, and I'm happy to see that it hasn't changed a bit. The same guards are still here, the place still looks the exact same. . . it's nice to see that nothing has changed. I'm still amazed that the guards haven't bothered to stop me yet. I look around the throne room, and I see that Zelda isn't there. Instead of Zelda however, Impa is standing by the throne, her arms crossed as usual with a stern look on her face. Her expression seems to change from stern to amazed however when she sees me approach her.

"Link Nohansen Hyrule. . . could that possibly be you?" she asks me.

"Long time no see, Impa," I reply. She gives me a smile, although as usual, it appears to be forced.

"It's been years, lad," she says. "What's been keeping you? How has your journey been?"

"Same old, same old. The enemy hasn't been up to anything, unfortunately. I was free today, and I was hoping if Zelda was here."

"Ah, you wish to speak to the Princess. As much as I wish you could speak to her, I'm afraid it wouldn't be possible at this time."

"Why? Is she away?"

". . . She's gone on official business, I'm afraid, and she may not be back until morning."

I stare at Impa for a second, unsure about the words that she has just said. She doesn't sound very sure, but I really have no choice but to trust her.

"Oh, I see. . . then can you tell her I was here? I'd like to talk to her sometime." I reach into my pocket and pull out the C.T. crystal that used to belong to Miu. "Tell her that when she gets the chance, call me with this." I toss the crystal to her, and she quickly unfolds her arms to catch it in her hand.

"I see," Impa mutters. "I will tell her that when she gets back. Is there anything else you wish for me to do?"

"No, there's nothing else. Thank you Impa."

"Stay out of trouble, lad. Trouble has a way of finding people, especially you."

"No problem," I chuckle as I descend the stairs of the throne platform and walk towards the entrance.

_Wow, lucky lucky, _Dex laughs at me.

_Shut up, Dex, _I hiss back. _It makes sense that I wouldn't be able to speak to her today. She's probably really busy. Lay off._

_No need to be a jackass about it, I was just stating a fact._

When I make it outside, I suddenly realize that all the guards that were on patrol are gone. Even the guards that used to be at the gate are gone. Is there something going on in Castle Town? But nothing could happen in the market that would be so bad as to get every guard from the castle to take care of it. . . unless. . . no, I have to hope that it's not the Society.

I break into a run, charging down the sloping hills that lead towards the market. I don't like the way things are looking; I'm hoping that whatever is happening isn't terrible enough to force me into battle. I start to hear a loud commotion from the people of the city as I get closer and closer. When I make it to the main square of the market, I'm surprised to see not the Society, but a group of teenagers fighting off a pack of Wolfos.

"What the?" I stammer to myself as I run towards the group. There are seven people in the group, all of them slaughtering the Wolfos like it was a game. I tap a nearby woman's shoulder. She turns to me with a dazed look in her eyes.

"What's going on?" I ask her.

"I don't know! Suddenly Wolfos started attacking the city, and these people came out of nowhere!" she replies, turning back to watch the teenagers. "More Wolfos keep coming, but these kids are amazing! I don't know where they learned to fight like this!"

I begin to also watch the people that are attacking the Wolfos with a wide variety of attacks and weapons. There are three women, and the rest of them are men. A lot of them are fighting with swords, but there are three people that aren't. There's a short, black-haired boy that's flipping and jumping around like an acrobatic monkey, crazily shooting the flesh out of the Wolfos with a pair of twin handguns. And when he runs out ammo, he uses knives while he reloads with the other hand. Then there's this big guy who's fighting a lot like Yashiro, but his hands are covered with these giant iron gloves. Then there's another woman who's actually managing to lift and attack with a giant iron hammer. And the last person that isn't using a sword is a boy that looks about my age, who's actually fighting with. . . puppets. I had heard of puppetry before, but this was the first time I had ever seen the fighting style performed. It was supposed to be a dead art.

And no matter how much the people fight off the Wolfos, more just keep coming and coming, and the group of fighters are soon outnumbered. Soon one of the female fighters, the tall blond-haired one with the grey trench coat, ends up in trouble. She's busy fighting one Wolfos and she doesn't see the one that's slowly sneaking up behind her. I quickly reach behind me to grab the handle of my sword, and then without thinking it through first, I jump into the calamity of the battle, the others not even noticing my appearance. Before the Wolfos gets a chance to attack the woman, I leap into the air, driving the blade of my sword into the creature's body. It whimpers for a split second before falling silent, immediately dying at the blade of my sword.

The woman notices me, and looks back at me in surprise as I clean my sword with a bandage and then put it away. I can't see her eyes because she's wearing a pair of sunglasses that are much similar to Uzuki's, but she seems surprised to see me. We stare at each other for a split second, and then she's gone again, off to help her comrades with the remaining pack of Wolfos. I hear a few more gunshots, followed by the last whimpers of the Wolfos and the sound of gunshots. And then it's over. In just a few minutes they all managed to take down a huge angry pack of Wolfos. These guys definitely mean business.

When the group is sure that the Wolfos are gone, the woman whom I had saved reaches behind her and grabs something that's attached to the back of her belt. When she lifts it forward, it appears to be what Uzuki once described to me as a 'megaphone'. The woman presses the button on the handle, and brings the mic to her mouth after jumping up onto the fountain so she can be seen.

"Listen up, all of you!" she yells, her voice being amplified by the speaker at the end. The people of Hyrule and I watch in amazement and shock at the visous-looking woman. "We don't mean you any harm! We are the Assassins! We're a group of fighters who have been constantly protecting you humans and Hylians from the threats of the current situation of Hyrule, however, up until now, we've been an underground organization."

She sounds familiar. . . where have I heard her voice before? The others of the group however, are looking at her strangely. She must be acting like this without their knowing.

"Despite our name being so cruel, we are here to protect you! The Hylian guards are doing nothing to stop this threat, and nobody can rely on the Time Keepers the way they are now!"

I freeze, and widen my eyes in shock, my jaw dropping. The Time Keepers. . . how in the world could this woman know about us? And what do these people have against us?

The woman looks at me, a evil look in her eyes.

"Isn't that right, Time Keeper?" she hisses at me. I flinch as I stare back at her, her thin crystal-blue eyes staring back at me, a stare so great that it's almost as if we're staring at each others' souls.

"Give your Reaper friends a message for me, will you?" she said to me through the megaphone. "Tell them to bring it on. This is war."

I swallow, growing more and more nervous at her words by the second. She's definitely a woman from the Society. . . but how can she live in the light without being affected?

The boy that was using the handguns walks up to the woman and takes the megaphone from her hands, and then brings the mic up to his own mouth.

"You hear that, Time Keeper? Yeah, we know you're a Time Keeper. We can tell by the headband tied to your head!" the boy yells. "Give Uzuki and Yashiro a personal message for me. Tell them that they'd better reveal themselves, otherwise I, Makoto Takahashi, will come to the Dark Realm and drag them back here myself! And tell Mitsuhiro that I'm working on his grave! That man is dead, I tell you, DEAD!"

I back up in fear, wanting to get out of there. Before I get a chance to though, a couple guards come up and grab the boy and woman by their arms, trying to retain them. They struggle, kicking and clawing at the guards, and soon they actually manage to push them away. But the guards retaliate, more guards showing up to grab the two. Before the guards can grab them though, the woman pulls out a blade, and the boy pulls out two handguns.

"You're killing your saviors if you take us in now!" the woman sneers as she swings her sword at the guards. "So back up! Leave us alone!" She turns to the tallest man of the group, a man with long orange-blond hair. "Higashizawa! Give us a hand, would you?"

The man nods, pulls the boy and woman towards the rest of the group, and then throws something at the ground. Smoke explodes from the item, completely obscuring the entire group and blinding the guards. When the smoke is gone, so are the people.

"Smoke bombs. . . typical," I hiss to myself. The entire group of Hylians and humans that had gathered to watch and the guards are all in a state of panic, half of them excited from this new commotion, and half of them angry as anything.

_This isn't good. . ._ Dex says to me.

_I know. How did they know about us?_ I reply.

_That woman. . . I feel like I've seen her face somewhere before. . ._

_Same here. There's no use pondering over it here though. We should investigate their group a little more when we get back home._

I walk towards the area where they disappeared, trying to get past the people that are already there. Suddenly I see something sparkle from the corner of my eye. I look around, making sure no one has seen it first, and then I make my way to the object, bending down to pick it up. It's a gold heart-shaped locket. I wonder if this belongs to one of those people? Well, there's only one way to find out.

I put the necklace in my pocket and then I push through the crowds of people, anxious to get out of there as quickly as possible. When I'm out of the crowd, I take the locket out again and open it to see if anyone's name is written on the inside. There's a tiny slip of paper inside with a name written on it in creepy black letters, much similar to how the letters are written in my Time Gate.

_-Zer0_

"Zero. . . I don't know anyone like that. . ." I mutter to myself.

_Sounds like a Twili name,_ Dex states.

_You could be right,_ I reply. _But I should return this locket to whoever owned it. Most likely that group.  
_

_Are you sure that's a good idea? Those guys are dangerous. . . you could end up getting your head chopped off. Besides, you don't even know where they are!_

_Oh, I have a pretty good feeling where they are._


	3. Don't Shoot Me

Hey,

Chapter 3 of Adult Chapters is up, finally! I'm glad I'm able to update at a good rate and I don't end up keeping you all waiting forever. I already have a draft of chapters 4 and 5 done on paper, so hopefully the next two chapters come out quickly. Thanks, enjoy!

Uzuki Cheverie

**Time Gate: The Adult Chapters **

**Chapter 3: Don't Shoot Me**

"Zero, Zero, Zero. . ." I repeat to myself over and over as I look at the locket, so much until the words and image of the necklace are burned into my brain like an infectious disease. "Who the hell is Zero? And who are these people?" I often ask myself questions out loud. It helps me think better. Mostly because if I think about the questions, Dex is going to talk back to me, which irritates me at times. Of course, even if I speak it, Dex will probably still talk back anyways.

_Stop talking to yourself moron, people are staring at you._

See what I mean?

"Dex, I'm trying to figure something out," I growl at him. "Could you just shut up for five minutes so I can think?"

_Fine. If you need me, I'll be peacefully resting inside your Soul._

I toss the locket into the air and then catch it again, putting it back to resume its position in my jacket pocket.

"What to do. . ." I mutter to myself. I should go to return the locket, but I'm unsure of whether or not they will appreciate my arrival. They seem to know that I'm in the Time Keepers, and they don't seem to be very happy about our existence either. Going to meet them could end up in a gruesome battle. And the words that the woman had stated earler - "This is war." - were still replaying through my mind. This group, the Assassins as they had called themselves. . . what was their goal? And did they have a vendetta or something against us? More importantly, how did they know about the Time Keepers in the first place? I have to look into all of this when I get back to the house, and even more importantly, I must warn the Reapers. If word gets out about us throughout Hyrule, things could get very bad. We are not the kind of group that should be famous. We have to stay hidden.

When I make it back to Kakariko, I immediately hear a gunshot.

"Yep, that's definitely them," I say to myself. Kakariko has become infamous for its violence. Gunshots, screams, very small earthquakes, blood stained on the trees. . . and all of those things happen mostly out in the graveyard. I know it's not the Society, now that I know this group, the Assassins, are running around causing trouble for Hyrule and for us.

I walk down the paths of the village, making my way to the stone archway that leads to the graveyard. I pass by the windmill hut, and then I walk down the steep path, soon entering the depressing, dark area of the graveyard. I look to my right, and I see Dampe's house sitting all alone, its form looking a lot more sad now that there's nobody living in it. I can see spiderwebs hanging off the wooden beams and the roof of the house, and the wood that the house is made of is appearing to be rotting.

I quickly hear a gunshot as soon as it's fired. I spin around, and I realize that the noises are indeed coming from the woods that border the area.

"Man, such a pain in the ass. . ." I sigh to myself, closing my eyes and putting my hand to my forehead in annoyance. I always have to deal with this kind of stuff. . . although now that I'm the leader of the Time Keepers, stuff like this is going to be happening to me a lot more often.

I start my walk towards the woods, keeping my hand in my pocket so I can hold the locket, making sure not to bump into any gravestones or murals. The last thing I want is to accidentally awaken a mad Poe. When I make it to the border of the forest, I hear three more gunshots, followed by a bunch of laughs. Sick, twisted people. . . who is that in there?

I take a deep breath, button up the jacket that Byrne gave me five years ago, and I pass the border between the forest and the graveyard, quickly becoming sheltered under the density of the leaves in the trees. This forest is as dense as anything, but I'm hoping that it will thin out as I go.

It thins out all right.

I soon reach an area that's completely wiped out, the trees either entirely knocked over or completely destroyed down to the base of the tree trunk.

_I suddenly got a really bad feeling about this, Link,_ Dex warns me.

_Yeah, me too, _I laugh inside my head.

I suddenly hear a laugh, the kind of laugh that would belong to an evil monster. It's high pitched, and has that sort of crazy tone to it. It almost sounds like a mad Poe. Then I hear another laugh, but it doesn't sound the same. It sounds more like it belongs to a person, although I can still tell that they're downright crazy.

I suddenly hear a close gunshot, and out of reflexes, I immediately jump out of the way. Something zooms right by me, whipping my jacket like it was a breeze of wind, and it hits the ground. I look down at the small hole in the ground, and I pick up the item.

It's a bullet.

I suddenly realize that this is ambush. I spin around, and jump out of the way of another bullet, this time the projectile hitting a tree. I try and find where the source of the bullets are, but I can't see anything. All I see are the trees surrounding the area and the trees that are pushed into the ground like twigs.

I hear a gun reload from behind me. I freeze where I am, the cold hard metal of the gun pressed up against the back of my head. I can't turn, I can't move, not unless I want to get my head shot off.

"Who are you?" the mysterious person asks me.

_You see? I told you this was a bad idea!_ Dex screams.

"Please don't shoot me," I mutter. He readies the trigger, the reloading sound making a loud clicking noise, making my heart skip a beat purely in fear.

"I don't think you heard me the first time," the person growls. "Who are you?"

I clench my hands into fists, and I slowly look back at the person. Behind me is a shorter boy with short, slightly-curled black hair and green-hazel eyes. He has a crazy look in his expression, and I know he means business.

"You look familiar," I say to him.

"As do you," he replies, keeping the gun aimed at my head as I fully turn around to face him. Who is this guy? I know him, it's right on the tip of my tongue and my brain, I just need to remember. . . suddenly a younger image of him pops into my head, the image of the girl who nearly shot my head off with an arrow when I was thirteen, who defeated the archery game on hard like she was trying to prove a point to that very same boy who was now aiming a gun at my head.

". . .You. . ." I hiss, widening my eyes at him. "It's you. . .! That girl that nearly shot my head off with an arrow! You're the one that was with her!"

The boy doesn't look very convinced, but then his eyes widen, the exact same look on his face that's on mine; a look of sudden realization.

"You're that kid, the little guy that was in the tunic. . ." he says in a low voice. "Well, they always say never to kill children. . . although now it seems I can kill you right here, now that you've grown up." He presses the gun to my forehead. "Say bye-bye."

". . . Bye-bye," I laugh psychotically as I rip the front of my jacket open, revealing the two now activated smoke bombs that are lined on the inside. I look at the strings on my fingers, the strings that were made to pull the activation rings off the bombs the moment I pull my jacket open. The bombs suddenly burst into clouds of white, the smoke covering the entire forest like wildfire. I manage to duck down before the boy has any chance to pull the trigger on my head. I jump back, running away from where I estimate the person to be standing, and I climb up into a tree, hiding inside the big bushes of leaves. I sit down on the tree branch and watch as the white smoke begins to disappear. I ready a kunai in my hand as I watch, waiting for the boy to appear. Instead, he's gone, the entire forest empty. I'm obviously not dealing with an amateur.

"Zero!" I hear his voice yell from somewhere I can't calculate.

"On it!" I hear a feminine voice reply.

Shadows suddenly burst through the forest like its own smoke bomb, the darkness wrapping itself around the trees. It's not twilight, but these abillities definitely don't belong to a human either. Damn, it must be the Society. . . but how could they survive in broad daylight like this? And the boy I had seen not a minute earlier did not resemble a Reaper at all. He was the same boy though who was firing the Wolfos like crazy back in Hyrule Castle Town.

I calm myself down, knowing that I've dealt with situations like this before. Uzuki, back when I was under much heavier training, had once taught me a few aura reading abilities. She had used the same tactic to make it so that I could see people in the dark simply by switching my eyesight and finding the auras instead. At least then I didn't need to see the people, I could just find them by seeing their colors.

I close my eyes, slowing myself down, focusing on changing my eyesight. When I open my eyes, my pupils have grown out, changing into rings. I can see everything now. Well, not everything. . . but I can see the people. There's one green aura, an unstable, evil one. It appears to be psychotic.

Then I see a second aura, which somewhat separates itself from the first. It is a pink one, although. . . it's color seems to change at once point. Near the base of the aura is what appears to be black twilight, although it's hard to tell. The aura appears to be very kind and good-willed, but it also appears to be vicious and killing at the same time. And it also seems to have a bit of insanity and vengeance mixed in. Vengeance, on a pink aura. . . that's truly something I have never seen before in my life. Pink usually means sweet and secure. Vengeance though. . . I can't even imagine how that got mixed in with her pink aura. And those twilight markings. . . why the hell is that even _there_? That shouldn't be happening. . . unless of course, the person is part Twili. But even Twili's have a tough time surviving in the light. Maybe. . . she doesn't get affected because she's only part Twili? But still, that's the strangest aura I have ever seen. Uzuki would probably know something. I also realize that these auras are just as big as mine. Which means that they are equal in strength to me in Soul lengths. This doesn't mean that their physical strength is larger, but they can fight and control their Soul very well.

_We're not dealing with amateurs here,_ I tell Dex as I make up a plan in my head.

_I kind of realized that when I saw the massacre of the Wolfos in Castle Town!_ Dex growls.

I watch the auras of the people dart around in the black shadows like the light from a lantern. Their speed is extremely high as well, especially the boy's. It's almost as if he's flying, but I don't see any wings. And his aura has suddenly changed. . . the color is the same, but a wide smile seems to be growing over-top it. The smile goes all the way up the side of his aura, like the smile from an insane murderer. The smile keeps increasing too, and it almost seems to be shifting often, moving like it's laughing. This aura is almost as phenomenal as the pink aura with the vengeance and insanity mixed in.

I pull out a kunai, and I decide to attack the pink aura first, mostly because it's smaller than the other one and seems to belong to a weaker fighter. I always take out the smaller guys first so that they don't get in my way when I fight the much stronger ones. I jump out of the tree and land as quietly as possible so that I can't be heard. The darkness is still surrounding the forest, which is good. I can use their trap against them and attack them without being seen before attacking. I look for the pink aura, and I see it standing not too far from me. I can't tell which way the person is facing though. That's the only disadvantage for using auras in complete darkness.

I silently creep up to the person, and I ready my kunai, holding it to the person's back (or front, it's kind of hard to tell). Before I'm able to capture the person though, I hear a gunshot, followed by a swift gust of wind blowing past me, hitting the ground. I look down to see a bullet right by my foot. Way too close. . .

I spin around to see the other green aura quickly approaching me, as if he knows my location, as if he can also read auras and see me. I immediately pull out my sword, the sound of the blade sliding out of its sheath making a loud ringing sound and immediately catching the attention of the person that owns the pink aura. The aura seems to spin around, and then I hear the same sound of another sword being removed from its sheath.

This isn't good, I realize. The only way that person could have found me is if he could read auras. . . but that was very uncommon among regular people.

I hear the clicking noise of the gun being reloaded, and as the shadows around us disperse, I soon see the black-haired boy holding the gun to my face once again from only a few feet away.

"Hello again," he snickers at me.

"Please don't shoot me," I mutter, repeating the same words from only a few moments ago. I look back at the person behind me, the same blond-haired woman who had declared war through the megaphone back at Hyrule Castle Town.

"Answer a question then," the boy says.

"W-What?"

"What's the worth in living?"

We stare at each other for a few moments. I'm completely confused, and I'm unsure of whether or not to answer the question.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"My best friend, murdered. . ." he hisses under his breath as he lowers his head. "My sister, also murdered. . ." He raises his head, his expression suddenly completely psychotic as he screams, "All killed by a Time Keeper! They all had the chance to live, and they were killed and turned into forsaken Reapers!"

"I don't know what you're talking about. . ." I hiss back. The woman behind me nudges me in the back with the end of the handle of her sword. I can see chains tightly wrapped around the beautifully and elegantly crafted handle.

"Just answer the question," she orders in a sharp tone. Her voice is as killing as her appearance.

"You're a Time Keeper, aren't you? The headband tied to your head signifies it," the boy continues. "You have another Time Keeper there, don't you? Four others, am I right?"

This is definitely _not_ good. And I don't to get my head blown off either, so I decide to just answer the question. "Y-Yes, four others. . ." I stammer. "But wait, how do you-"

He doesn't let me finish my sentence before he pulls out another handgun and places the tip right next to the other one, both of the guns aimed straight into my forehead.

"You. . . I have no choice but to kill you!" he screams. "Your comrade killed my best friend and my sister! You'll all pay for Uzuki and Yashiro's deaths!"

"Uzuki and Yashiro?" I cry, my face heating up in nervousness as I look up at the two guns that he's definitely planning to fire off. "But they're-"

"Shut up, I don't need to hear anything from a Time Keeper! This is a warning to the one who killed them, Mitsuhiro Minamimoto!" He puts his fingers to the triggers, and I close my eyes, waiting for the two bullets to shoot straight through my skull.

"Stop it Makoto!"

The woman who had been behind me jumps in between the two of us, holding her arms out to protect me. The boy scowls at her, and pulls his guns away, but doesn't put them away just yet.

"Zel - Zero! Get out of the way!" the boy demands.

"You can't shoot him," she growls.

"Wasn't this your intention from the beginning, Zero?" the boy questions her. "Or have you grown soft to the sight of this traitor's face?"

Okay. . . now I really have no flipping idea what's going on.

The woman shakes her head in denial. "N-No, I. . . I just think that he'd be a valuable asset to gaining information, that's all. From the Time Keepers, you know? He might be able to tell us some things. . ."

The boy stares at her for a moment, as if thinking over her demand, and then he sighs as he puts his handguns away.

"Suit yourself. But I swear you're too soft for your own good," he mumbles as he turns around and walks in the direction of the tall leaning house in the distance.

The woman turns around to face me, staring directly into my eyes from underneath the glasses that are covering over her own.

"Well, don't just stare at me all idiotically like that," she hisses as she grabs my shirt collar. "Let's go! You're our prisoner, you hear?"

I scowl at her as she pulls me along through the forest and towards the house. There's something so familiar about her, something that's so familiar that it's scary. . . but what is it? Is it her sharp, uncaring voice? Or maybe her long blond hair that travels to her waist? Or perhaps her cruel hostile personality? Either way, there's something that is very familiar about her, something that I fear if I don't figure out soon, it could lead to trouble later on.

"Just who are you anyway?" I ask in the most straight-forward way I can.

She looks back at me as she continues to drag me along the ground. "Do you think I'll answer such a stupid question to the likes of you? Think again, Time Keeper."

"How do you know I'm a Time Keeper?" I blurt out quickly the moment she finishes her sentence. "How do you know about us?"

". . . That's my secret."

I growl under my breath in defeat. She soon throws me into the house, where six other people are gathered in the room to watch. They're all the people I had seen at Hyrule Castle Town; the only one who isn't there is the woman that had been using the hammer.

"Whoa, live catch of the day, dude," the tall man with the long orange-blond hair chuckles as he bends down to look at me on the floor where the woman had thrown me. He gives the woman a high-five, as if taking people hostile is some kind of achievement.

"Hey, I'm not some kind of prize!" I hiss as I stand up from the ground. The tall man shoves me in the chest, slightly knocking me back.

"But. . . I'm going to dissect you, aren't I. . .?" he says.

"Higashizawa, just wait," the smaller black-haired boy interrupts, holding his hand out to stop the man. "Zero has claimed it would be wise to get some information out of him before we do anything to him."

I have to escape from this crazy place. I can't take looking at all the insane auras of this room. I close my eyes, switching my eyesight back to normal so I don't have to get completely paranoid from all these sick twisted auras. And the word 'dissect' is not a word that should have been used in that particular sentence! It's something that clicked in my head; this place is definitely it's own mental institute!

"Listen, I don't want to have to fight you. . ." I warn as I back up towards the door, placing my hand over the cover of my kunai holster in case I have to quickly pull a kunai out. But before I can get any farther, I'm suddenly squished under something, hitting the floor hard. I look up at what's squishing me, and I see the same short black-haired boy sitting on my back.

_He was just over there a second ago!_ Dex yells at me. _You let the squirt jump you, idiot!_

"Get off me!" I yell at him, squirming from underneath his feet.

"Tell us why you're here first!" he demands.

_That's it! I'm outta here!_

"Uh, hey Dex? Leave me here, and I swear, I'll come back to haunt you!" Uh oh. I said that out loud didn't I? I guess I should ask the people around me that are giving me strange looks.

"W-What did you just say?" the blond-haired woman asks me in a harsh tone.

"Uh, just talking to myself?" I reply, trying to sound convincing.

The woman looks somewhat angry at me, but she almost looks a little caring as well.

"You're. . ." she begins, but she shakes her head, erasing the sentence that she hadn't spoken. "Just answer the question, will you? Why are you here?"

"I need to speak with Zero," I growl, looking up at the boy again, who's still standing right on top of me.

"You're talking to her."

"You're Zero? Then. . ." I try to reach into my jacket pocket and I pull out the golden heart locket. ". . . I think this belongs to you."

She looks at me first, and then at the locket, a somewhat sympathetic-happy look on her face. Then she bites her lip, and snatches the locket from my hand, her expression becoming furious again. She just can't seem to stay the same emotion for long, can she? Without even a simple thank-you, she puts the locket back around her neck to resume its previous spot.

"Is that the only reason you came here for? To return the necklace?" the boy on top of me asks.

"Y-Yes, that's all."

"Wow, you really are stupider than I thought." He steps off me. "Although, there's no reason for us to let you go now when we finally caught a member of the Time Keepers. . ."

"Look, I really don't give a crap who you are or what you want! I just really want to get out of here!" I head for the door again, this time watching the boy's every movement so that I don't give him the chance to jump me again. I grab the doorknob.

"Wait."

I stop my hand from turning the knob, and I look back at the boy, keeping my hand gripped on the doorknob in case I have to run.

"What do you want, kid?" I ask in a low, angry voice. I've literally had all I can with this kid.

"Just watch your back," he laughed in a psychotic, low sort of way. "The next time we meet, you may not get to keep your head. You hear me, _kid_?"

We glare at each other in complete hatred, and then I leave the house, not saying another word. I begin my gloomy walk through the forest, trying to shake off the crazy look that the kid had burned into eyes and the words he had etched into my mind.

"Wait! Please wait!"

I look around, trying to find out where the voice is coming from. Then I feel something hit my head.

"I'm up here, you idiot!"

I look up to see the blond-haired woman named Zero sitting up in a tree.

"Huh? What is it?" I ask her, confused about her actions.

"Um. . . I'm kinda sorry for the way Makoto acted back there."

"Huh? Why are you apologizing? We're enemies, aren't we?"

"Enemies. . ." Her tone doesn't sound very sure, almost like she's questioning herself and the words that I said. Or delirious.

"Did you have something else in mind?" I ask. "You know, you could have just let the kid shoot me back there. Regretting the choice of letting me live, eh?"

"Hm, maybe. Either way, Makoto's right. Next time we meet you, you may not come out alive, you hear? Like I said before, this is _war._"

I cross my arms and turn to face her. "Just who are you people? You seem to have quite a vendetta against us."

"You could say it's more or less Makoto that has a vendetta against you. I don't want to get any further into the details. . ."

"Please, explain. If you do, I may be able to tell you something about the Time Keepers."

_Wow Link, are you actually going to do that?_ Dex asks me.

_If her information is important enough for me to know, then yes, _I reply.

"An exchange in information? You actually trust yourself to go through with that?" she asks me.

"I feel like. . . I can trust you," I mutter. Good Goddess Din, why am I saying that? Is it just because this woman is so familiar? There's something so openly familiar about her that it's starting to scare me that I can't remember.

"You actually trust a complete stranger? How daring," she snickers.

"I'm willing to take a few risks." Yeah, right. Good going, moron.

The woman jumps down from the tree, and slowly approaches me. "So, what do you want to know? Goals, enemies, members? Name it, I'll tell you, within reason."

"Alright, it'll work the same way for me and the Time Keepers then," I decide. "So tell me, what are you all after?"

"Like I said before, we're a group of people fighting - or you can say, 'rebelling' - against the rules of the kingdom. You probably realize that Hyrule is in distress and is probably going to be destroyed by the Reapers if nothing happens soon. We can't rely on you guys because you haven't stopped the Reapers yet, not to mention you're nearly completely composed of Reapers. And our group is much larger than yours. Unlike the Time Keepers, who only have five members, we have eight, and we may still recruit some more."

"How do you know so much about us?"

"It's true that you people are what you'd call an 'underground' organization, but there are people out there that know about you. For instance, the battle of Hyrule Castle that occured five years ago, when hundreds of Reapers infested the castle, and the Time Keepers jumped to the rescue, including you."

"H-How do you-"

"And the fire in Lon Lon Ranch five years ago as well, when an enemy Reaper set fire to the ranch and put the lives of three farmers in jeopardy, there you were again, to the rescue!"

"I-"

"And who could forget the twilight, when it clouded the regions of Eldin and Faron, and you and the Time Keepers brought the spirits back to life and destroyed the darkness?"

I give her an angry look, giving her the message for her to stop. She smirks at me, almost like she meant to get me upset.

"You've been popping up everywhere, trying hard to stay hidden, but we've noticed you every time. You can't hide from any of us," she says in a low voice in a way that it sounds like a laugh.

"Okay, so I guess I don't have to ask you about your enemies, huh? It's quite obvious who you hate."

"Please don't take it personally. We don't hate each one of you, we just hate the group in general. And some of our members absolutely detest the members of your group. Makoto in particularly."

"Makoto was that kid back there, right? Why would he have something against us?"

"He's had. . . previous troubles with your members, even before you appeared in the Time Keepers. Even before I joined the Assassins."

"If he's got a bone to pick with us, he should just come out and tell us face-to-face! It's better than him trying to kill our teammates!"

"I apologize, but I can't say any more about the subject. But not only are you our enemies, but the Reapers that you are fighting as well."

"So we're pretty much doing the same thing."

"You could assume that. Yes, we are both after the same thing. We just don't agree with each other's methods."

"We should just work together then, if we're both after the same thing. It would save us a lot of time. . . at least, that's what I think."

"Work together. . . heh, sometimes people have no choice but to battle each other."

I kick my ankle against the back of my heel, getting more impatient with her biased answers. "Fine, last question. Tell me about your members. I know you, Zero, and Makoto. What about the rest?"

"Hm, I probably shouldn't tell you this. . . but. . ." She walks up closer to me so that she's less than a foot away, and she puts her hand on my shoulder in a friendly manner, looking at me with a trusting look in her eyes. "I can trust you to keep this a secret between you and I, right? You won't tell the other members of your group?"

"Um, I. . ."

"Please? Besides, this is something that the rest of the Time Keepers would be better off not knowing."

"A-Alright." Although I don't trust myself either. I'll probably end up blurting it out. I'm hoping she doesn't find out.

"I still don't trust you, but I feel I have no choice." She removes her hand from my shoulder and backs up a couple feet. "Our group, the Assassins, are composed of seven humans and one Hylian. I'm the lone Hylian, and the rest of our group is composed of humans. You've seen Makoto Takahashi. He's the co-leader of the group, because he was the first person to be asked to join by our leader, Mimitra Takumi. His step-brother, Higashizawa Takahashi, joined shortly after. The rest to follow were Taishou Kasahara, Mikoshi Kasahara, Victoria Klasen, Rei Ryuga, and then finally, me. Victoria is a branch member of the group, so she doesn't have much contact with us, but she is a member."

"Kasahara and Takahashi. . . but that's-"

"It is because the four brothers are all related to Uzuki and Yashiro. Higashizawa and Makoto are Yashiro's older brothers, and it is the same for Taishou and Mikoshi for Uzuki!"

Uzuki and Yashiro's. . . older brothers. I remembered back to when they had spoken of their brothers, but I never imagined their own brothers would get wrapped up in this, especially as our enemies. Uzuki had always told me of her admiration for her brothers, how she had spent so much time with them when she was alive, always picking on each other and playing pranks on one another. It was the kind of brother-sister bond that they shared. And Yashiro with her older brother and her older step-brother. . . she apparently always got along greatly with the both of them, even if the oldest of them wasn't related by blood.

"Now keep your word. You must not tell anyone about the things I told you," Zero demands.

I grit my teeth in anger. I have no idea how I'm going to keep this a secret, and I almost try to decide to tell the Reapers when I get back. . . but knowing the Assassins, they'd probably find some slick evil way of finding out and inflicting a form of horrible punishment. . . ugh, I can't even imagine!

"You probably want some information about us then, huh?" I ask angrily, grinding my teeth together.

"No, not at all."

I widen my eyes in surprise at her. "Huh? But why?"

She jumps back up into the tree, her back facing me, and then she shoots me a quick glance. "We, the Assassins, already know _everything_ about you. There are no questions about you, because we even know more about your little group than you do."

"What are you. . . talking about. . .?" I ask nervously, a little shaken by her words.

"Run and hide, little fairy," she hisses. Then she smiles. "Oh, and one more thing. . ."

"What?" I snap.

"I wouldn't call Makoto a kid. He's eight years older than the both of us." She turns her gaze back towards the horizon again as she leaps from tree to tree, disappearing into the distance. I watch her for a few moments before Dex suddenly appears into my mind.

_Well, that sure was weird. . ._ he exclaims.

_Yeah, I know. . ._ I reply.

_. . . I can't believe that little shrimp is eight years older than you!_

* * *

When I open the door to my house, I'm greeted by a happy Miu, who's purring so loudly I can barely even hear myself think. I set my bag down on the table, and I pet Miu's head, greeting her back with a forced smile. There is nothing good at all about this day, and I'm sure Miu can tell by my uneasiness, because she's suddenly tilting her head in worry at me.

"Link. . . okay. . .?" she asks me in her warped voice.

"Yeah. . . Link's just fine," I grumble. Although I can tell that she can still sense the tensity in my voice.

"Link in trouble. . .?"

". . .Yeah, big trouble."

Even as I walk into my bedroom, she continues to persist in finding out what's wrong by following every step I take.

"Miu, you don't have to worry about it! Everything's fine, alright?" I growl at her.

"Link. . .!" she cries, head-butting my leg. That means she's pissed.

"Miu, I'm not in the mood!" I yell, slamming the bedroom door on her, leaving her out in the hallway. I can get really fed up with her sometimes, especially when she decides to pick a bone back with me. I soon hear a banging sound against the door. I punch the door back. "And you can stop head-butting the door!" The noise stops. I sigh to myself and sit on the edge of my bed, twiddling my thumbs together in impatience. It's at times like this that I wish I wasn't so hotheaded. I mean, Miu was just trying to help. . . I finally stand up from the bed and open the door in sympathy, revealing Miu sulking with her back towards me.

"Come on in Miu, I'm sorry," I apologize. Her ears perk up, and she faces me, a sorry look on her face as well. She slowly walks into my room, and jumps up onto my bed, curling up into a ball at the end of the mattress. I head back to my bed and sit on my pillow, Miu inching closer to cuddle up next to me. She places her big cat head on my stomach, and slowly pats her tail against the bed in relaxation. Without moving her, I reach over to my bedside table and open the drawer, pulling out my Time Gate along with the nib pen and ink. I open the diary, flipping past the hundreds of old entries, until I reach a clean sheet. I dip the nib pen into the bottle of ink and I begin to write today's diary entry.

_April 15th, Fifth Year_

_Things are just getting worslalalae and worse. And I don't mean Society-wise either. The Society hasn't done anything, which is just great, and Dex has been a nice guy by not fighting against us and staying in my consciousness. But now there's a new group. They're called the Assassins, which is a misleading name considering they described themselves as a group that protects Hyrule against the things that the regular security can't take care of - just like us. But these people definitely do not want to join us. Instead, they've declared war. Thanks to a bit of coercing with one of the members, a woman named Zero, I was able to get some information as to their goals, members and enemies. The leader of the group is named Mimitra Takumi, and she found the rest of the members all on her own. There's Makoto Takahashi, the co-leader as the group, probably the second strongest, and he is also Yashiro-chan's step-brother. Then there's Taishou and Mikoshi Kasahara, Uzuki's older brothers. Yashiro's blood brother is also in the group, and his name is Higashizawa Takahashi. Zero is the woman I ran into earlier and got the information from, and she is also a member. The last two members are Rei Ryuga and a branch member named Victoria Klasen. _

_The only problem is that I cannot reveal the fact that Uzuki and Yashiro's brothers are in the group to the rest of the Time Keepers. Maybe Mitsuhiro, if he were to keep a secret, but not Uzuki and Yashiro. _

_It was actually an exchange in information, and I agreed to tell Zero about the Time Keepers, but she refused, telling me that she already knew everything about us._

_And I couldn't get over how familiar she was. The door is locked on this strange question, and I'm hoping to soon unlock it. These Assassins are people that we must be rid of, before they expose us to the entire land of Hyrule. _

_Also, Zelda is gone._

_Well, okay, not gone as in 'disappeared', but gone as in 'left from her castle'. It's strange, mostly because she became so careful and afraid of the calamity outside the castle walls, and never left the castle except for emergencies. And the way Impa had talked about it, she seemed very unsure, or even doubtful. Her aura. . . had been trembling. I'm lucky I had switched gazes for that particular conversation, otherwise I would not have noticed this important fact._

_Zelda's up to something, and it's something that shouldn't be happening. I need to look further into this matter later. But I left my C.T. crystal with Impa, so hopefully Zelda will get it and call me back. _

I read over the entry one more time as the letter_s _shift to their sharp creepy font. Then I close the diary and place it back into the desk drawer, grabbing the spare C.T. crystal before I re-close it. I tie the crystal's string around my neck, replacing the one I had given away. I wish Zelda would call, at least then I would be able to find out if she's doing alright and isn't up to any trouble. I'd really like to see her face again. . . and at the same time I don't. It's just like before, what the hell would I even say to her? Now that we're older, it's even more awkward.

I get off the bed to head to my bookshelf, pulling out a new book that I hadn't started reading yet. The storyline seems good from the summary at the back, so I figured that it would be a good book when I bought it. I sit back down on the bed and begin to read the first page, skimming over the title and author's note before flipping to the next page. As I read the first few chapters, I start to lose track of time and the world around, allowing myself to immerse completely into the fantasy world in the book. After reading for an hour (which I'm guessing), my C.T. crystal rings from around my neck. I jump in excitement as I grab it and turn it on, eager to see Zelda on the other line.

Unfortunately, it's just Shuto.

"Oh, it's you. . ." I mumble.

"Gee, you sure are excited to see me," he chuckles. "Link, what are you doing right now?"

"Just catching up on some reading. Why?"

"Could you possibly come back to the Dark Realm? There's, uh, someone who wants to meet you."

I give him a look of wonder, raising my eyebrow at him. "Huh? Who is it?" I have this feeling that it's Zelda. . . but no, that's just impossible.

Shuto turns away from the view of the crystal, talking to someone else off-screen. The person seems to be somewhat aggravated. A few seconds later, Shuto turns back to the camera.

"Um, I really can't say, but you'd better hurry. You don't want to keep our guest waiting," he tells me. I hear someone yell angrily in the background. "Really, get your ass over here fast." The crystal turns off.

"Odd," I tell myself as I set the book down on my bedside table and get up from the bed once again. I pet Miu's head. "I'm just going out, alright Miu? Stay safe." She nudges my face with hers as a reply, and then resumes her nap. I grab my Time Gate, ink and pen, stuffing the three items into my bag in the kitchen before running outside, pulling my Ocarina of Time out from one of the pockets of the complex bag. The fastest way for me to get to the Dark Realm is to simply use the Mirror of Twilight in Hyrule Castle Town, which means the Temple of Time. So I play the Prelude of Light, and the yellow light engulfs my entire body, warping me away to the Temple of Time.

When the light is gone, I find myself in the temple, standing on the pedestal that has the Sage's symbol on it. This place is just as regular as ever, although I tend to get deja-vu every time I come here. The Spiritual Stones are still sitting in their rightful place where they belong, and for some reason, the Door of Time is still open. The Deity had told me a couple years back that he would keep it open so I could freely travel between the Realm of Light and the Dark Realm without having to open the door every time (because the Deity knows that I would get pissed off easily having to do the same procedure over and over again).

I pass by the Master Sword that's placed in the Pedestal of Time, not giving the blade of evil's bane a second glance as I stand in front of the stained-glass window that's on the back wall. Stairs composed of blue and purple lights soon form, reaching the floor just in front of my feet. I begin to climb up the stairs, passing through the window until I'm inside the spiraling room of staircases that I had entered so many times before in the past. It's a little over a five minute walk by the time I make it to the top. And of course, I see the normal thing on the top floor.

The Mirror of Twilight that's always there. . . and the Deity, missing.

Now, don't get me wrong, I've grown used to not seeing the Deity. In fact, I think I haven't seen him since the first day I came here. I talk to Dex nearly every day, but the Deity is just some whole other person when it comes to communication. I can't even train myself to use his powers because I haven't exactly become in tune with him because I have no idea what the guy is up to. Probably something way more important and trustworthy than Dex, that's for sure.

I step up onto the pedestal, the side of the coin facing me beginning to glow like a lamp, the light traveling to the wall and creating the large portal that looks like it's traveling inwards. My body begins to turn into twilight as it's sucked into the endless hole.

When my body is reformed again, I'm in the large room in the Mirror Sanctuary in the Dark Realm. I look around once before stepping off the pedestal and heading outside into the twilit world. I'm immediately greeted by Dex, who's sitting on the tower of the sanctuary as usual.

"Link, long time no see, pal," he snickers jokingly.

"Hello Dex. I see you're the same as usual, wandering about aimlessly," I grumble back as I start to walk away.

"Where are you off to in such a hurry?" he asks. As if he didn't know.

"You _know_ where I'm going, douchebag!" I hiss. "Or don't tell me you were 'sleeping' again. Yeah, sleeping my ass. I've never seen you sleep!"

"Augh, you got me on that one," he says as he jumps down from the tower and lands in front of me as if he had just jumped only two feet instead of twenty. "So who do you think's waiting for you? Couldn't be Zelda, now could it?"

"That's what I've been wondering. But there's no way that's possible, I mean, Zelda in the _Dark Realm?_ Not right, not at all. It's probably just. . ." I find myself at a loss for words.

"Just. . .?" Dex continues.

"I have no idea who it is. But take my word for it, it can't possibly be Zelda."

"Mind if I tag along then?"

I consider his request, giving him a funny look.

"Um, don't I get enough of you in my head? Do you really need to come along?" I ask.

"Come on, bro, it'll be fun! Like one big family reunion!" he laughs, patting my head. Why does he have to be that extra couple inches taller than me?

I look at him strangely. "Family reunion? You still think it's Zelda, don't you?"

"Who else could it be? Ah, Link reunited with his true love once again. . ." He ruffles my hair like I'm a little kid. I grab his wrist, gripping it tightly as I bring it down, all while giving him an angry look.

"Say that again, and I'll kill you," I growl.

"Heh heh, that sure blows, now doesn't it?" he laughs as he walks ahead of me. "Hurry it up then, don't want to keep the young lady waiting, now do you?"

I tighten my fists as I hesitantly follow him, getting more pissed off with him with every step farther he takes ahead of me. Now I have to put up with Dex and his crazy notions about Zelda being the person waiting for me.

We walk for about fifteen minutes before we make it to the forest bordering the house. Then I realize that it's the first time Dex has been here, and I suddenly get worried. I mean, he works for the Society now, at least, as far as I know. He may reveal our location to the damn bastards.

Before I enter the woods, I turn on Dex, crossing my arms and looking at him with a serious expression.

"Whoa, what's with the look?" he asks me.

"Dex, you work for the Society. . . right?" I ask him nervously, trying not to trip up on my words.

He kicks his toe against the ground, looking down to the ground. "Yeah, I do."

"Then I guess this is where you leave. Unless of course, you decide not to reveal us to the Society."

He looks up at me again. "Link, I may work for the Society, but I also work for you."

"A double-agent?"

"You could say that."

"Then I still can't trust you."

"I say you can go ahead and trust me, but you really _shouldn't_."

I scowl at him, angry with his words. "So for this one time, can I trust you to keep this a secret?"

Dex looks up at the sky, considering his answer. "Like I said, I also work for you. Revealing your location would put you in trouble, and probably kill you, which means I'd die too. So this time, I'll let it slide."

I sigh a sigh of relief, and pat his shoulder. "Thanks Dex, you're the best."

He shoves my hand off his shoulder, sneering in disgust. "Just don't make this a habit, you hear? I don't want people to know I'm going soft."

I smile before laughing at his joke. "You got it."

I turn towards the forest, beginning our walk towards the house where it's hidden in the shelter of the trees. We step over roots growing from the ground, trying not to trip over anything, and five minutes later, we're in the clearing where the house is sitting, appearing to be alone but definitely inhabited. Dex stares at the house for a minute, as if examining the area.

"Wow, you live in a dump," he laughs out loud.

"Ugh, you don't have to be so blunt about it!" I yell. "Besides, it used to be worse. It underwent reconstruction over the past year."

"And it still looks like a dump! You guys have some serious redecorating to do! I mean, what's up with that huge window? You're pretty much _asking_ me to smash it, aren't you?"

I hold my arms out to stop him. "No, whatever you do, don't touch the window! I'm begging you, I don't need to go through that torture again!"

"Torture over a window? Lame."

"Say what you will, let's just go before Shuto gets impatient. It's taken us long enough." I turn around and head to the house, climbing up the stairs onto the small deck, opening the door and heading inside with Dex. When I'm inside, I'm greeted by Shuto.

"So Shuto, what's up? Someone wants to meet me, right?" I ask as calmly as possible.

He looks at Dex in confusion first, wondering why he's here. Then he begins to speak in a low voice, as if he's afraid the words he's going to say are extremely confidential, secret from Dex.

"Link, we've got a bit of a. . . problem on our hands," he tells me in his low, secretive tone.

"Just tell me who the person is," I reply back.

"Go on inside to the living room, see for yourself." He turns and walks away into the living room, gesturing for me to follow him.

Dex bends down next to my ear, a crooked smile growing on his face. "It's Ze-l-da. . ." he chants in a low amused voice.

"Shut up, you ass, it's not Zelda," I grumble back.

"You'd be happier if you could just admit it, wouldn't you?"

"I said shut up. I don't need you bugging me right now." I shove his head back as I walk past the small dining room and turn a left into the living room. All the Time Keepers are sitting in a circle on the chairs and couches, waiting for my arrival. And standing near the window, gazing out into the Dark Realm outside, is a robed figure, the hood pulled up over their face.

"Um, so who is it?" I ask nervously, my anxiousness growing with each passing second.

Uzuki is grinning to herself, appearing to be smug.

"Uh, what's going on?"

The robed figure who's standing by the window turns to face me, their face completely covered by the hood.

"Uh, guys. . .?" I'm getting really freaked out now.

The Reapers all look at the robed figure as the person lifts the hood from their face.

Oh. My. Goddess. Din.

The person I see standing before me. . .

. . . the person I didn't want to see so I wouldn't have to give Dex the satisfaction. . .

. . . Princess Zelda Nohansen Hyrule.


	4. Horrible Miscalculations

Hey everyone,

Chapters are coming out nice and quick, so you can expect Chapter 5 to come up probably the day after tomorrow, maybe a little later, it depends how much I type each night. I hope you're all enjoying the Adult Chapters so far :D I may do editing to this chapter later. Thank you, please R&R.

Uzuki Cheverie

Climbing, climbing in this elevator  
Shaking off these regrets that hold me  
We keep going up, up to the top

"Why am I riding this thing?"  
And the elevator girl replies,  
'I doubt that it's any different from your own way of life.'

Kagamine Len, _Shinseiki (New Millennium)  
__(English Translation)_

**Time Gate: The Adult Chapters**

**Chapter 4:** **Horrible Miscalculations**

I can't believe my own eyes.

This isn't happening. . . is it?

"Z-Zelda?" I stammer, losing my breath at her pretty face. "Is it. . . really you?" I feel pretty overwhelmed right now. My heart is heavy, heavy with joy and excitement. I slowly walk towards her, wanting to just give her the biggest hug known to mankind. I can't even wipe this stupid smile off my face. When I reach her, I outstretch my arms, inviting her into a greeting hug.

But she. . . doesn't look to pleased. She doesn't say a word, just continues to stare me down with the same glare that she's been holding since I saw her face.

"Zelda? Are you okay-"

She slaps me in the face.

Harder than I had ever expected.

I fall back onto my butt on the floor, which frankly, is kind of embarrassing because she's, well, Zelda. I wipe my cheek from where she had slapped me, giving her the glare she had given me. The Time Keepers look down at me with shocked expressions, all of them as bewildered as I am. I don't even bother getting up from the floor.

"Zelda! What the hell was that for?" I yell.

She grits her teeth, her expression become even angrier. "Link Nohansen Hyrule, you know _exactly_ why I did that!"

"Awkward. . ." Yashiro chants in a high-pitched voice from the background. "So, uh, we'll just leave you two alone for a while. . ." She leaves the living room, the rest of the Time Keepers, including Dex, shuffling out of the room in silence, muttering amonst themselves.

I stand up from the wood floor, still rubbing the sore spot on my left cheek. Zelda is still glaring at me, her hands tightened into small fists.

"Zelda, do you know how much I've missed you?" I ask, raising my voice.

She crosses her arms. "Obviously not a lot! You never bothered to come visit me, and you never even replied my letters!"

"Don't you think I wanted to? I've been wanting to see you more than anything, but I didn't want the Reapers to find me! And it's hard to send letters unless I want the Reapers to trace it back to where I live!"

"That doesn't matter. . ." she cries, her voice changing to a whisper. "Link, I. . . I thought you were dead. . ." Small tears begin to trickle down her cheeks. She wipes them away with her gloved finger.

I bite my lip, feeling bad for her, wishing that I could take it all back. I walk towards her, wrapping my arms around and hugging her tight. She lets her head fall onto my shoulder.

"I'm sorry Zelda. . ." I whisper to her. "I just don't want you to get hurt. . ."

Zelda's tears begin to soak through my jacket as she rubs her face into my shoulder. I can hear her quietly sniffling under her breath.

"For five years. . . for five years I've been waiting to see you. . ." She backs up from my hold, glaring at me again. "For five years I thought you were dead. . ." She raises her hand and slaps me in the face again, but this time not as hard. "For five years I've been wanting to do that!"

Ouch, that one hurt.

I keep my face down so that I don't have to look in her despaired eyes again.

"Zelda, please forgive me. . ." I whisper. "I'm sorry I made you feel that way. . . but I. . . I only did what I did to protect you."

"Sure you did," she growls sarcastically. "For Goddesses' sake Link, do you think I'm a pathetic weakling? I happen to know how to protect myself!"

"You don't know how dangerous it is out there. . ." I hiss under my breath, still not looking into her eyes.

"You. . . always acting as if you have to protect everyone. . . what about you? In the end, who's going to protect you? You're not the strongest person out there!"

I finally raise my head to look at her, our eyes meeting in a deadly battle glare.

"So what are you saying? That _you're_ stronger than me? Don't make me laugh."

"You selfish idiot. . ."

"I'm not being selfish, I'm just trying to make sure no one I care about gets hurt!"

She suddenly pulls her hand back and swings out a long metal sword from the inside of her robe, holding the tip of the metal to my neck.

"Tch, you wouldn't dare. . ." I challenge. I'm really surprised at how fast she changes her emotions.

"You think I've been doing nothing these past five years? You think you're the only one that has gotten stronger? Think again, fool."

I grab the blade of her sword, lowering it down so that it's no longer at my neck, but rather at my chest.

"You're really letting the darkness take over," Zelda sneers. "How long has it been since you even talked to the Deity? I happened to notice that you brought Dex along."

"Don't change the subject. I don't know where the Deity is."

"I'm not changing the subject! The Deity concerns the way you exist, does he not? And I'm concerned about you."

"You just threatened to kill me!"

"I can't kill you, you know that. Not unless the darkness really gets ahead of you."

"I'm telling you, I'm fine! I just haven't seen the Deity in a few years! He's completely disappeared!"

She tilts her head at my remark. "Gone, huh? Now, why do you think that is?"

"He's just gone, probably doing something important."

"Ugh, you're so stupid. Stubborn to the very end, huh? Don't blame me when Dex decides to turn on you."

"I'm very much prepared for a situation like that," I mutter.

"Oh, are you now? Well, we'll just have to see when that day comes, now won't we?"

I look deep into her eyes as I lower the sword farther until it's facing down to the floor, away from my body.

"Don't get lost, little fairy," she hisses under her breath. I can barely even hear her.

". . . What do you mean. . .?" I ask in the same low tone.

"Figure it out for yourself, before it's too late." She puts her sword back into the sheath hidden inside her robe.

I sigh as I go to sit on the couch. I gesture for Zelda to join me, but she sits down on the chair across from me.

"How did you find me?" I ask her in a serious tone.

". . . I have my ways," she replies, looking up at the ceiling.

"That's not good enough. This house is completely secret, it's not supposed to be found that easily."

She reaches into the front of her robe and pulls out the C.T. crystal that I had given Impa.

"See what I mean now? Or do I need to spell it out for you?"

"Huh?"

She rolls her eyes and groans. "Homing device, Link! Come on, don't tell me you didn't know about the homing device that's built into these things!"

"What? Homing device?" I still have no idea what in the world she's talking about.

She hangs her head low in annoyance, groaning again. "Man, you're stupid. . . look, I can track you and your Reaper pals down using the device that's built into the crystal! The location came up on the Dark Realm map, so I just followed the trail until I got here!"

"Whoa, the crystal has that?" I ask, amazed.

"Gah!"

"Geez, sorry for not knowing that," I chuckle.

Zelda sighs again and puts the crystal back underneath her robe. "Finding you wasn't hard, it was just a matter of finding out how to get to the Dark Realm."

"Yeah, how did you pull that one off?"

". . . I have my ways," she says again.

"No, seriously. I'd like to know these things."

". . . I know a guy."

"Zelda, you're really starting to freak me out a little, you know that?"

"Link, I just don't want to get into any complications! It's no big deal, alright? Geez. . ."

". . . Why are you talking like that?" I ask, raising my eyebrow at her long-term attitude change.

"Huh? Talking like what?"

"Like _that!_ You're not talking very formal or princess-like at all!"

"Such stereotypes," she snickers. "I've been up to a lot in the past five years you know. I haven't just been sitting around doing nothing."

"Alright then, tell me what you've been doing."

". . . I don't wish to speak of it."

"Dammit Zelda, quit it with all the secrecy! This is the first time I've seen you in five years, I think I'd like to know what's going on!"

She becomes silent. Then she looks into my eyes, a smile on her face.

"You don't need to worry about me so much, alright? Goddess Din, so stressful, huh?"

"I'm not stressed. I'm just trying to find out what my best friend has been up to for the past five years," I grumble.

"Forget about what I've been doing," Zelda says. "What about you?"

* * *

**An Interlude**

Uzuki, Mitsuhiro, Shuto, Yashiro and Kon all crowd around Dex in the small bedroom.

"Well? What's he saying?" Shuto asks him.

"You know, I highly suggest we all _stop_ eavesdropping," Dex chuckles as he listens in on Link's thoughts. "I can only tell what he's thinking you know, I have no idea what he's saying. Unless he manages to think of his words, but he's doing far from that."

"He must have known you'd listen in on the conversation," Mitsuhiro states. "So he's thinking of other things while talking to Zelda so you can't listen in."

Dex sighs, rubbing his forehead. "What a little asshole. . ."

"That would make you an asshole," Yashiro snickers.

"To each his own," Dex mumbles.

"Incorrect usage of quote. Correct usage necessary," Uzuki says, almost like a computer.

"Uzuki?" Mitsuhiro asks, raising his eyebrow at her. "Um, you alright?"

Uzuki blinks, almost as if she had blanked out. "Huh? O-Oh yes, I'm fine. . ." Uzuki and Mitsuhiro look at each other for a split second before looking back to Dex.

"I've been thinking about this since Link got here. . . Dex, aren't you our enemy? Why are you here?" Kon asks.

"Heh, excellent question," Dex replies.

"That's not an answer. Why would you possibly get the guts to show your face here?"

"That is another excellent question."

"Man, just answer my questions instead of telling me how good they are!"

"Hold it," Dex stops, holding his hand up for the group to be quiet. "I think Link's starting to let his guard down. . ."

"Really? What's he saying?" Yashiro demands.

". . . Uh. . . nope, never mind, he's just got a song stuck in his head."

The Time Keepers all groan and lower the heads in defeat.

"Yep, an asshole," Yashiro sighs.

"Hey, it's not his fault!" Uzuki growls. "I mean, it's kind of hard to control our thoughts sometimes, and I don't think he's really counting on Dex to listen in either!"

"Actually, he's thinking some things all while having that song stuck in his head," Dex says. "But, uh, why in the world did you make such a screwed up dude your leader? His thoughts are more or less creeping me out."

"He probably got his thought patterns from Uzuki!" Yashiro laughs. "Screwed in the head, like always!"

Uzuki rolls her eyes.

"Augh, perverted kid!" Dex suddenly exclaims. "Son of a mother-"

"Yep, just like Uzuki!" Yashiro laughs even louder, looking at Uzuki with a big toothy grin on her face, Uzuki rolling her eyes again.

"You're so _funny_," Uzuki grumbles.

"Whoa, the dude just got really depressed. . ." Dex sighs.

Yashiro opens her mouth, ready to crack another joke.

"Shut it, Yashiro!" Uzuki yells before Yashiro can get another word out.

"Depressed, perverted, crazy. . . heh heh, you two are like fraternal twins," Mitsuhiro mutters under his breath.

"Mitsuhiro! Don't you start too!" Uzuki exclaims, turning around to face him.

"Heh, sorry," Mitsuhiro apologizes. "You know me, can't help but join in on a good joke. . ."

Uzuki shakes her head in disapproval, and walks to the window at the back of the room, staring outside into the twilight of the Dark Realm. Mitsuhiro gazes at her, watching her eyes glare intently at the world outside. He walks over to her, catching her attention by putting his hand on her shoulder.

"Uzuki, are you alright? You haven't been acting yourself lately," he says worriedly.

"What do you mean? I'm fine," she replies.

Mitsuhiro lowers his head, and looks out the window with her.

"Are you worried about something?"

"No, it's nothing."

"Well there's gotta be something bothering you."

"I said it's nothing!" Uzuki yells, looking at Mitsuhiro with what he guesses as an angry look.

"You know, it's kind of hard for me to tell what you're feeling when you've always got those glasses on," Mitsuhiro mutters. He reaches for the dark sunglasses, and Uzuki flinches.

"Please, just don't," Uzuki says in a tense voice.

"Uzuki, I'm worried about you, okay? I want the old Uzuki back. . ."

She grabs Mitsuhiro's wrist, and gives him an angry look. "The old Uzuki died a long time ago, alright? Just forget about it, I don't want to talk right now." She turns away and walks out of the bedroom, all of the Time Keepers, including Dex, watching her leave and slam the door behind her.

"Ooh, she's pissed now!" Yashiro teases, giving Mitsuhiro a smug look. "She's probably not gonna talk for the rest of the day now!"

"Yashiro," Mitsuhiro growls, looking at her with a death glare. Yashiro suddenly shuts up, knowing not to prevoke him any farther.

Uzuki runs out into the hallway, heading into the bathroom. She bends down low over the sink, closing her eyes as she wipes the sweat from the fear off her forehead. She stares in the mirror, looking back at her reflection.

"You idiot. . ." she hisses under her breath, tightening her gloved fists. She places her hand on her right shoulder, slowly pulling off the right side of her shirt to reveal more of her arm. Twilight markings are revealed on her skin, the twilight's straight lines and circle designs faintly covering her skin like worn-out blue tattoos. She pulls off the glove on her right hand, revealing the same twilit tattoos wrapping around her wrist and fingers.

"You. . . you need to tell someone. . ." she cries to herself as she lowers her face down back to the sink again.

_You musn't tell anyone. You wouldn't want people to worry, would you?_

"S-Shut up! You aren't me. . ." Uzuki stammers.

_Then what am I? Just a figment of your imagination?_

"I said shut up. . . you don't know who I am. . ."

_Of course I do. I've been with you ever since death. _

Uzuki tightens her fist, and eyes the kunai sitting in the open holster on her belt. She immediately grabs it, and gritting her teeth, grips the handle with both hands and holds the tip of the small blade straight into her neck.

_Oh, I know this routine. Didn't we do this once before? Or am I just having deja-vu?_

"Be quiet," Uzuki growls through clenched teeth, continuing to press the blade into her neck. "I won't hesitate to kill myself, if it means getting rid of you."

_Now I remember! You did this once before about six years ago!_

"Shut up."

_Back in eleventh grade, you started hearing voices in your head, and you even tried killing yourself! If it wasn't for Mitsuhiro-kun, you'd wouldn't be standing here right now. No one would be._

"Shut up!"

_Then you started getting all depressed, and after the angel told you how you were going to die, you just went along with it like it was alright! You let yourself disappear from the world after saying goodbye to all your closest friends!_

Uzuki smashes her fist against the bathroom counter, causing the wood to slightly crack from the impact of her strike.

"I said _shut up!_"

_. . . Pull yourself together, Uzuki, otherwise neither one of us will survive much longer._

"Please. . . just leave me alone. . ." Uzuki cries as she drops the kunai to the floor and lays her head down on the ledge of the counter. "I don't want this. . . I can't stand this one bit. . ."

_You asked for it when you decided to die._

* * *

**Chapter 4 (continued)**

"So. . . you've been training by yourself this entire time?" I ask Zelda, confused by her entire explanation.

"You could say that, yes," she replies.

"I find that hard to believe."

"Believe me or not, it's the truth. There's no reason for me to lie at this point, is there?" She stands up from the chair, pulling the hood back up over her face.

"You're leaving?" I ask.

"I have. . . things to attend to. You understand."

Princesses, always having to do something. . . but I have a feeling that this thing she has to attend to isn't even related to her role as Princess of Hyrule.

I walk Zelda to the door as she steps back outside into the twillight.

"Oh, and about this darkness. . ." She holds her hand out as if catching some imaginary rain. "I'd be careful if I were you. You wouldn't want the darkness to take you over, would you? Like I said before. . . run and hide, little fairy." She smiles at me one more time before running down the stairs of the small porch and then disappearing into the darkness of the forest. I watch the trees, as if expecting her to walk back out again, back to me, but she never reappears. I sigh in defeat, and then close the door.

'Run and hide, little fairy,', eh? No, that's not right, not at all. I specifically remember her saying, "Don't get lost, little fairy," not "Run and hide.".

The one who said "Run and hide, little fairy,". . .

. . . was Zero.

I shake my head in disapproval to myself, reminding myself that Zelda looked nothing at all like Zero. Zero wore revealing clothes with dark sunglasses and had pure blond hair. Zelda had nearly brown hair because it had been streaked so many times, and she always either wore a robe or a nice dress, without wearing any form of dark glasses so her eyes could always be seen.

But the things she said were so identical to Zero's words it was scary.

I hold my shoulder with my hand, thinking back to Zelda's words, 'Don't get lost,' which immediately reminds me of something important. I rush down the hallway and knock on the bathroom door. Usually there's no one in there, but this time Uzuki emerges from the bathroom, an upset look on her face.

"Uzuki?" I ask. "Um, what's up?"

"Zelda gone?" she asks back without answering my question first.

"Uh, yeah, she left about a minute ago. . ." I stare at Uzuki even harder. She looks like she's been crying. ". . . are you alright?"

"Yeah, just fine!" she growls as she pushes past me furiously. What's suddenly got her so upset? I decide to let it go for now; there's no use pissing her off any farther. I head into the bathroom and stare into the mirror, immediately noticing the twilight markings that have begun to grow on the back of my neck. I swear to myself as I take off my jacket and tunic shirt, revealing the twilit markings that have grown all over my back. The seal that Uzuki had placed is nearly gone, completely covered over in faded black twilight circles and lines.

"Dammit, dammit, dammit. . ." I repeat over and over to myself in a low voice, trying not to scream in sheer anger. Uzuki's seals never work eighty percent of the time, but I had been hoping. . . I always had this false sense of hope that they would work someday. . . what another horrible miscalculation. Now, I've been wrong, millions of times before. But being wrong about _this_. . . was a horrible mistake.

_Dex. . . what should I do?_ I ask him.

There's no reply.

_Dex?_

Still nothing. I sigh and grab my jacket and shirt off the floor, putting both back on and then leaving the small bathroom. I bump into Mitsuhiro, who's back is faced towards me and is completely staring at the wall.

"Mitsuhiro, what gives?" I ask, questioning his strange behavior. His shoulders are slumped over, his hands are shoved into his pockets, and his head is laying against the wooden wall as he stares down at the paneled flooring.

"Nothing makes sense anymore. . ." he mumbles. His words sound slurred and disturbing.

I grab Mitsuhiro's shoulder and pull him from the wall. His hair is hanging down low over his face, making it hard to see his eyes.

"Snap out of it, dude!" I yell at him, snapping my fingers in front of his face to get his attention. He looks at me once, and then looks down again.

"Hello Link. What do you need?" Mitsuhiro asks me, continuing to stare at the grey wall with no sign of emotion.

"Are you alright? You and Uzuki have been acting strange lately."

"I'm fine. But Uzuki is. . . no, she's fine too. Just a little on edge, that's all." Mitsuhiro backs up from the wall, his hands still in his pockets as he walks past me and into the living room. However, I realize that he's hiding something again. I'm not that stupid. So I follow him into the living room, where he's completely sprawled out on one of the white armchairs, looking straight up at the ceiling and letting his arms hang by the sides of the arms of the chair.

"Even as the leader of the Time Keepers, people are still not telling me everything I need to know," I begin, standing in front of Mitsuhiro's chair and crossing my arms. "Why do you all persist in keeping secrets from me, huh? Is it that hard to tell me?"

". . . Heh, there's this old saying of the Dark Realm. . ." Mitsuhiro says in a tired but amused tone. "'He who trusts and listens to a whims of a Reaper will only become a Reaper in the end.'. These are Reaper problems Link, so you don't need to worry."

"Mitsuhiro, don't tell anyone, but I'm just as much a Reaper as the rest of you," I mutter. "Do you think the darkness has been leaving me alone? Because it hasn't. I'm in trouble, and frankly, I don't know how I'm going to manage getting myself out of this one. I've told you my problems before in the past, so I need you to tell me what's been going on with the four of you. From one fairy to a Reaper, I'm asking you to trust me."

". . . Like I said before, we're all fine," Mitsuhiro sighs as he continues to stare at the ceiling.

"Can I take your word for that? I'm not going to end up getting bitten in the ass later?" I ask precariously.

". . . He who trusts and listens to the whims of a Reaper will only become a Reaper in the end. . ." he repeats.

I shake my head in disapproval. "Just don't keep this a secret from me too long, alright Mitsuhiro? I don't want anything like the Kyodai no Akuma incident to happen again. . ."

Mitsuhiro doesn't respond. It's almost as if he's sleeping, but I'm not falling for his little charade. So he doesn't want to talk, huh? I'm completely fine with that. But I'm not saving his ass in the near future when he gets in trouble and needs my help again.

I sigh and shake my head again, and I turn around and walk into the kitchen. I sit down at the small oak wood table, trying to gather my thoughts. There's so much right now that I don't know; what Zelda has been doing for the past five years; who the Assassins really are and what they're really trying to accomplish; why the Society hasn't moved at all in so long; the problem with Uzuki and why neither her or Mitsuhiro will tell me what's wrong; and to top it all off, the problem with my Soul being taken over by the twilight! I could never handle so many problems at once. The only choice I have is to choose the smallest problem, solve it, and then work my way up to the bigger problems. That's usually what I do; it just makes everything so much easier to accomplish.

So first, I gotta deal with Zelda and the Assassins. The Assassins don't seem much of a threat, but then again, they seem pretty powerful too. And Uzuki and Yashiro's brothers are also members, which sadly, is something that I can't reveal to them. But revealing it to Uzuki at this time when she seems really upset seems like a bad idea anyways. She never likes to be loaded with too many worries at once, it just makes her go crazy and all depressed at the same time. And then the rest of us get really depressed. Uzuki's depression is kind of contagious that way.

I begin scratching my thumbnail into the table, something I always do when I'm trying to think. First of all, what am I going to do about Zelda? Like the rest of my friends, she's keeping secrets, and I don't like it at all. I have to find some way for her to trust me again, enough for her to tell me what she's been doing all these years. Because I know that she hasn't just been sitting around being the Princess of Hyrule this whole time. No, she's been getting into trouble, trying to do things herself again.

And then there's the Assassins. Zero and Makoto are my top priority right now, but like Zero had said earlier, they had seven main members, and one branch member, so it wouldn't hurt to find out about all of them. Because they're not as underground as we are, it shouldn't be that hard to find out about them in Hyrule Castle Town or Kakariko. Rumors in the market travel like wildfire, and I'm sure the residents of Kakariko know a few things about the people that reside in their graveyard's forest.

But how to find out more about the Society? Dex could help, no doubt about it. He doesn't care one bit about which side he's on, so he'd gladly tell me as much as possible about what the Society has been up to. A double-sided traitor, but he's still useful.

Handling Uzuki is going to be the tricky part. She's so stubborn and secretive all the time that it will be hard to get any information out of her, and Mitsuhiro, not even Yashiro, will utter a word about what's going on. But then again, maybe even _they_ don't know. Uzuki can be so secretive sometimes that she will even keep biggest secrets, no matter how horrible, locked away from the two people in the world she trusts the most.

And then there's me. The twilight taking over my body is a result of Dex's Soul merging with mine. Zelda's words disturbed me, almost as if she had known about my problem. You can think of me just turning into one big twilit monster. Not very pleasant, and definitely something I want to stop before it's too late. Unfortunately, I have no idea how long it takes for the twilight to fully take over the Soul. I've been hiding this problem for the past few years - since the Kyodai no Akuma incident - hiding it from Mitsuhiro, Uzuki, Shuto, Yashiro, Kon and even Miu. And I'm even starting to wonder if the effect of Dex's Soul merging with mine is the reason for the Deity's disappearance. It would make sense if Dex's Soul was completely kicking out the Deity's. But would that make the Deity's physical body disappear as well?

Too many questions, and barely enough time to answer them.

I look up from the table, staring at the wall across from me, until my eyes spot the slip of paper that's sitting next to the small vase of lilies that Shuto had put up for decoration. I reach for the paper, unfolding it to reveal the letters written on the front. It's a note.

From Zelda.

_Alright Link, it's pretty much apparent that your group, the Time Keepers, need my help._  
_So from now on, I'd like to be a branch member of the Time Keepers. I can give you any relevant information about the events in Hyrule._  
_I know you can't refuse._  
_Zelda Nohansen Hyrule_

I can't believe I'm saying this, but. . . Zelda's being an ass. I mean, first of all, she _slaps _me, which for a good reason, I feel I deserved. Then she pulls a freakin' sword on me, and then she storms out while leaving me with more questions than answers! I had been hoping she would have stayed longer, but of course, being the Princess of Hyrule, she obviously has business to attend to. And that business probably involves her getting into trouble and not telling me. I just wish I could have read her aura while she was here. Unlike Uzuki, I don't constantly have my shifted eyesight on all the time. I find the colors distract me too much. I didn't think I would need to read her aura, but now I'm regretting the fact that I should have.

"Hey Mitsuhiro!" I call from the kitchen out to the living room, where Mitsuhiro is still sprawled and silent on his armchair.

"Uh. . .?" he replies.

Good Goddess Nayru, he can't even reply with a simple, "What?".

"Where's Uzuki?" I ask. She had charged out of the bathroom so fast earlier I had no chance to ask her where she was headed off too.

Of course, that question seems to catch Mitsuhiro's attention. He lifts his head up, and then continues by getting out of the chair and walking past me, heading to Uzuki's bedroom. He knocks on the door, and after hearing no response, he doesn't hesitate to forcefully attempt to open it. But it's locked.

"Crap, that's not good," Mitsuhiro grumbles as he gets on his knees and pulls out a bobby pin from his pocket. "I'm glad you brought that up Link. I happened to notice that Uzuki wasn't acting her usual self. It's normal for her to be in a bad mood, so I asked her what was up, and she said it was nothing. I asked her if she was sure, and she snapped at me, still claiming that nothing was wrong. Then she stormed out of the room."

"I found her in the bathroom," I finish, telling him what he didn't know. "But are you sure Uzuki's not just having a bad day or anything?

"When Uzuki says nothing's wrong, there's definitely something that's wrong," Mitsuhiro replies. "I've known Uzuki long enough to realize that. Even as humans I knew something was up when she said there was nothing wrong."

"You four as humans. . . I'm guessing you were all friends?"

"Uzuki and I were really close, but I wasn't very close to Yashiro. I kind of just hung around on my own at school, and it was Uzuki who wouldn't look at me like I was a depressed person and would actually talk to me. Then she introduced me to Yashiro, and then Shuto, who was later hospitalized because of an unknown disease. Because of that, I didn't see Shuto very much, but we would visit him after school and chat like nothing was wrong."

"Sounds like you had an okay life."

"Yeah, I guess it was okay. But then things got. . . weird."

"Weird?" I ask, watching him as he continues to fumble with the bobby pin, trying to release the tricky lock that Uzuki had set up for her room. "What do you mean by weird?"

"There was this other girl that Uzuki had met over the year, a transfer student from Kalasia. Those damn angels sure were brave to let one of their kind enroll in the high school of Hyrule Castle Town. . . anyways, quite a while back, probably in ninth grade, Uzuki had been going through some hard times, and she soon realized that the reason of human life was null and void for her own mind. She asked the weirdest questions to herself, only sharing them with either me or Yashiro. I never had much to say about this stuff, and Yashiro always acted as if it wasn't really a big deal."

"Isn't that normal for that to happen to teenagers?"

"Sometimes. She returned to her normal self by tenth grade, but then in eleventh grade, she met the angel. They hung out sometimes, but Uzuki still talked with mostly me, Yashiro, Shuto and all the rest of her friends she had grown up with. That's when things got even _weirder_. Link, you know that scar on her face?"

"Yeah, the small one she said she got at birth, right?" I ask, touching the right side of my own face to better visualize where she had the scar.

"Well, over the year, the scar actually got _bigger. _And the dark rings Uzuki had under her eyes got darker. Something was up. And even Yashiro started to develop a scar on the left side of her face, a scar even she didn't know was there until Uzuki and I pointed it out one day. It got bigger a lot too."

"That's hard to believe."

"Well believe it, because I saw it with my own eyes. Anyways, as a human, I already had my Time Distorting abilities, but I had noticed strange thorn markings - the same markings that the Kyodai no Akuma has - appearing on my left shoulder. And they were appearing on Uzuki's right shoulder as well. But that's not even the weirdest thing."

"Ugh, I'm afraid to know what the weirdest thing is!"

"It's not so much weird as it is _disturbing_. One day at school, Uzuki gave us all notes, saying that she was trusting us not to open them until after school when she left for home. I thought nothing of it, but when I was walking home, I opened the note. . . and on the inside. . ." His voice begins to tremble, as if growing nervous or even emotional over his words. ". . . The note said. . . 'Goodbye Mitsuhiro. I'm sorry, but this is where the line ends for me. Thank you for being such a good friend to me all these years. I'm really grateful to have met you.' I received that note. . . the day she died."

I swallow, trying hard not to sputter out any horrible comments. My entire body starts to tremble at the story.

"Apparently, she had also given the notes to Yashiro's brother, Higashizawa, her own brothers, Taishou and Mikoshi, and her best friend who had graduated years earlier, Makoto. Of course, no one knew what the notes meant, but I did. The moment I read it, I headed for the market square, nearby where she lived so I could find her. But. . ." I finally hear the lock's tumblers fall into place as the door unlocks. Mitsuhiro stands up and grabs the doorknob, looking at me before opening it. ". . . I mustn't say anymore. I made a sworn oath not to reveal any more details about Uzuki's tragic death."

"W-Who'd you make the oath to?" I asked, my voice shaking. "Mitsuhiro, you have to tell me how Uzuki died!"

"I made an oath. . . to myself."

I blink in confusion at him as he turns his gaze to the door and opens it slowly, stepping inside the room, making sure that I follow close behind. The room inside is dark, its grey walls and curtained window adding to the overall darkness around us. There's only a small stream of light from outside coming through a slit in the curtains, and even with that faint bit of light it's really hard to see where anything is. After a few moments though, my eyes soon grow used to the darkness, and I can make out silhouettes of the bookshelf and the bed, and the drawings that are hung up on the wall and lying around on the floor.

"Uzuki!" I call. "Are you in here?" I walk around the room a couple times, hoping that Uzuki's in here and didn't run off anywhere. Then, after a few more moments of searching, I notice the sliver of light hitting an object curled up on the far corner of the bed, where the back corner of the room is.

"Mitsuhiro, over there," I mutter, pointing at the object that I now realize is Uzuki. Mitsuhiro walks over to the bed, and sits down next to the figure, tapping its shoulder. It lifts its head, revealing Uzuki's darkened face.

"Here, let me open the curtain-" I offer, but I'm immediately cut off by Mitsuhiro.

"Don't touch the curtain!" Mitsuhiro snaps, pointing at me, gesturing for me to stay away.

"Huh? W-Why?" I stammer nervously.

"She hates the light when she's in a bad mood," he says as he rubs Uzuki's shoulder.

"Mitsuhiro. . ." Uzuki says in a droned voice, her voice almost melodic. "The voices. . ."

"What's she talking about?" I ask, growing more and more curious about her strange words.

"Uzuki, tell me what's wrong," Mitsuhiro mutters, giving his full attention to her.

"N-No. . . there's nothing wrong. . . I'm just a little tired, that's all. . ." Uzuki sighs under her breath, holding the bridge of her nose with her forefinger and thumb as if she's got a headache.

"There's obviously something wrong," I grumble. "Why are you locked up in your bedroom with the lights off and the curtains closed?"

"I just. . . had to get away for a few minutes. . . and the light was giving me a headache, so I did my best to get rid of it until the headache passed."

"Are you going to be alright?" Mitsuhiro asks her in a soothing voice.

"Y-Yes. . ."

I walk to the window, wondering if it's alright to open the curtains, but something catches my eye before I get the chance. I see the light reflecting off a strange looking drawing hanging on the wall. I reach for it, ripping it off the nail that binds it to the wall. The drawing is all scribbles, nothing that I think is too artistic, but then when I hold it up to the light in the window to get a better look, I'm immediately disturbed by the artwork. I see a scribble of a stick person standing in the lower-left corner, and a tree drawn in the upper right corner. Then at the bottom right is a group of straight lines exploding from one point, almost like a burst. There's a tiny hole in the middle, like she had poked it with the tip of her pencil. But the hole is so small it looks as if she may have poked it with the tip of a pin. When I look back at the scribbled stick-man style tree, I see something that's sightly obscured by the tree. It's another stick man, but their feet end in shadows and there are sharp lines growing from the person's back, like black wings. There are also multiple lines growing off the person's body, which appear to be arms, but it's hard to tell because the tree is merging with the character. . . and the drawing in itself is just bad. In fact, it almost appears that she was trying to draw this as fast as she could. There are holes lying around the paper, indicating she had pierced the paper with her pencil from going so fast. Something had scared her into drawing this, so much that she couldn't stand to draw it long enough to make it look the slightest bit appealing. But then again, Uzuki's been known for drawing stuff like this, even when I first met her. Still, I can't help but get curious. I take the drawing and fold it up, stuffing it in my pocket, hoping that Uzuki won't notice it's gone.

"Uzuki. . . I know this is a horrible thing to ask right now that you're, um, depressed, but I need you to do something for me. Have you ever heard of the Assassins?" I ask.

"N-No, I haven't. . ." she answers, still a little shaken up from the effect of who-knows-what.

"They're this group of humans rebelling against the security of Hyrule. And get this: they're also trying to save Hyrule. And they also know everything about us."

Uzuki's eyes widen at me. "Everything? Members?"

"Yes."

"Goals?"

"Yes."

". . . Even the fact that we're enemies of the Society?"

". . . Yes."

Uzuki groans under her breath as she lowers her head, holding her forehead, trying to think.

"What do you want me to do then? Blow em' up?"

"No, nothing that harsh," I chuckle. "However, I do need you to sneak into their base and try and find out anything you can, all while not being found."

"Link, you can't possibly expect her to do that!" Mitsuhiro exclaims. "Uzuki hasn't, but I happen to have heard of the Assassins! They're blood-thirsty killers who should be strapped up in a mental institution! They'll shoot down anyone that gets in their way, which also includes Uzuki if they find her!"

"They won't hurt her. They won't even lay a hand on her."

"What makes you so sure?"

'Because Makoto, Taishou, Higashizawa and Mikoshi are a part of that group, and they wouldn't dare try to hurt her,' is what I wanted to say. But breaking a deal with Zero seems like asking for a death wish to me, so I decide to keep my mouth shut. I start to look at the rest of the drawings that are nailed to Uzuki's walls. Thankfully, the one I took is probably the most disturbing. The rest don't hold any significant meaning, but then again, the one I took didn't make one bit of sense either. But the rest aren't as bad as the one I have.

"I know they won't hurt her because they once capture me, the leader of the Time Keepers, and they let me go without hurting me one bit. If they let the leader of their enemy group alone, they'll be sure to leave a lower ranked member like Uzuki alone."

Uzuki stands up from the bed slowly, her body lifting like its dead, and then she grabs her jacket that's hanging on the chair next to her work desk. She puts on the jacket, leaving the front unbuttoned as she shoves her hands into the large pockets.

"Well, if you really want me to do it, Link, then I'll do it," she answers.

"Uzuki, are you sure?" Mitsuhiro asks worriedly. "I can do it for you if you want."

"No, it's fine, really."

I head to the door, grabbing the doorknob as I pull the door farther open. "She'll be fine, Mitsuhiro. She wasn't given the nickname 'Silent One' for no reason. Sneaking into the Assassin's pathetic excuse of a base should be easy as cake for her."

"Awesome. I'll get it done right away," Uzuki mutters.

"Thank you." I smile at her once before leaving the room and heading into the quiet, empty living room.

* * *

**A Short Interlude**

Zero lays on the couch as she files her nails, watching Mimi sharpen her swords on the other chair and Makoto fling throwing knives at the target board nailed to the wall.

"This is for pushing Uzuki in front of a car!" Makoto screams as he throws a knife at the board. "This is for shooting Yashiro!" He throws another knife, landing it closer to the bullseye. "And this is for turning them into goddess-forsaken Reapers!" The last knife he throws lands right on the mark of the bullseye.

"Makoto, take it easy!" Zero scolds from the couch, not looking up from her fingernails. "You have no actual proof that the two have become Reapers!"

"They're Reapers, there's no doubt about it!" Makoto growls as he pulls his knives out from the round wooden board. "I saw them with my own eyes!"

"And how do you know that was Uzuki and Yashiro? Humans change their appearances when they become Reapers, you know."

Makoto grabs the last knife, gripping the metal of the handle as he pulls it out from the wood. "They were with Mitsuhiro. . . there's no doubt about it, Uzuki and Yashiro have become Reapers. Zero, you should know that after keeping tabs on them."

"I know, but there's still a bit of doubt left, I guess."

"All we can do now is trust in Zero's actions around the Time Keepers," Mimi says, joining the conversation. "We have no choice at this point. Zero will continue to monitor the Time Keepers, as well as the Reapers."

"Of course," Zero says.

Makoto walks away from the target board, walking past the couch Zero is laying on and heading for the medium-sized kitchen area.

"When I find that bastard Mitsuhiro. . ." Makoto hisses to himself, gripping the metal of his largest throwing knife that's attached to his belt. "I'll rip him to shreds!" He spins around, ripping the knife out of the holster on his belt and flinging it at the target board from the other end of the room, the blade spinning like a card until it hits the board directly in the bullseye, hitting it with such force that it causes the board to snap in two. The three of them are silent.

Makoto cracks his neck to the side as he puts his hands into his jean pockets, hitting his left heel against the back of his right foot.

"There will be no mercy this time. Mitsuhiro Minamimoto will die a painful death."


	5. When a Crazy Meets Another Crazy

Hey everyone,

Finally, Chapter 5 is up. I've been working on the next few chapters as separate documents, so those chapters should be up pretty quick. However, after that, I will probably be on a bit of a hiatus, as I need a break from the insanity and the brain-damaging consequences of writing this fanfic (literally, all I ever think about these days is Time Gate, and I need a break). So probably after Chapter 8, I will disappear for about a week or two, just to regain myself. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Uzuki Cheverie

**Time Gate: The Adult Chapters**

**Chapter 5: When a Crazy Meets Another Crazy. . .**

Why, why, why did he ask _me_to do this mission? Is it because I'm the most cunning? Because I'm the only one who would dare deceive the Assassins, the most notorious group of Hyrule? Or because I'm the 'Silent One', the Time Keeper that can infiltrate even the biggest stronghold and kill all the guards without leaving a body, let alone a trace?

Curse me and my silent ways.

I don't even know who these Assassins are! Link kept telling me he didn't know anything, and I can't tell if he's lying because he finally learned how to adjust his aura to make it look like he's telling the truth! What an ass.

So, here I am, in the forest of Kakariko, all alone, trying to read Link's stupid hand-drawn map. And half of the words that are written here are just gibberish. Normal words like 'big tree' and 'huge clearing' that make sense just lose all meaning when they're sitting next to words like 'narbo and 'lufty'. And written in the corner is a warning; the words 'Don't let him jump you' are written in big capital letters. Yeah Link, that _really_ helps.

I fold up the shitty map and stuff it in my pocket, ignoring it for the rest of the walk. I'm sure I can find the place wtihout it. This forest is pretty dense, which really annoys me. And I'm hoping that I don't accidentally run into an Assassin.

After about ten minutes of walking, I start to get a good idea of the layout of the forest. And eventually, after passing some clearings, stepping over a few logs, crossing a few streams and jumping over a few rocks, I find the house, the headquarters of the Assassins. Link was right. This is the crappiest house I have ever seen. I'm surprised it hasn't been blown down in a storm yet. The house is about three stories, and the only thing lifting the top two floors are weak looking beams of wood. The entire house has this crooked leaning look to it, and it looks so weak that I bet if Yashiro punched the wall on the main floor, the entire structure would come crumbling down. The wood is grey, and has that sort of rotted look to it, and there are about four windows on each floor. The first floor of the house is secured into the ground, and is the biggest part of the entire house. The second floor is smaller, and then the top floor is the smallest. It's pretty much just like a bunch of large sheds stacked up on top of each other.

Thankfully, the house is completely empty, thanks to Mitsuhiro. He had asked me to draw up a whole crapload of Poes, and then he went and released them into Castle Town. And of course, as we had predicted, the Assassins left their pathetic excuse of a house to help get rid of the ghosts. It's all a simple distraction method. The Assassins. . . are clumsy. Of course, we'd have hell to pay later, what with releasing Poes into the city as if we were the enemies. Oh well, nothing ventured nothing gained, right?

Wow, that was a terrible way to use that quote. . .

I walk to the house, making sure to keep an eye out for any members that may have been left behind. I grab the doorknob and slowly open the door, trying not to make the hinges creak. I'm really worried that if I open the door and Assassin will jump at me, or maybe even possibly the house will fall down on top of me. I make it inside in one piece, the place completely empty and as quiet as death itself. I close the door again, trying my hardest not to make a sound.

The inside of the house is even weirder than the outside. It's small and boxed in, and there's a small kitchen right next to the living room. There are two couches in the living room, all of them turned and arranged so that they look like a 'T'. Books are thrown all over the coffee table in front of the first couch, and along with the books are pieces of scrap paper, some documents and some maps. There are even a few mission requests lying around. And in the middle of the room is a large staircase, spiraling like a tower to the top two floors. The stairs appear to be made from a weak grey wood, and I'm almost afraid that if I walk up them, the structure will collapse from beneath me. The only path I can take that's worth of interest is up. So I gather up all my courage and step onto the first creaky wooden stair. I hold onto the railing tightly, slowly stepping onto the next step, growing even more nervous the higher I go. At one point, it feels like the stairs start _wobbling_. I grip the rail with both hands, stopping dead in my tracks so I can't cause the stairs to wobble any more. When I feel the wobbling cease, I exhale the breath I had been holding in fear, and I begin my climb again.

When I make it to the first floor, it's just a square shaped room with multiple doors. Each door has a piece of paper nailed to it, something written on each one. The first door I go to has a drawing of a voodoo doll on it, multiple stitches crossing the voodoo doll's face. I slowly open the door, stepping inside to the rather dusty room. I can see the dust floating in the strand of light from the only window in the room. There's a bed against the wall in the corner of my room, the blanket appearing to be almost stitched together. Books and drawings are thrown everywhere, along with strange looking dolls that have sewing needles stuck into them. Black magic circles and alchemy circles are written on the walls and floors, and I see an alchemy book lying at my feet.

"An alchemist. . ." I mutter to myself. "But what about the dolls? What are these?" I pick up one of the dolls, and I'm immediately disturbed by what it looks like. It has blue button eyes and blond hair, a small green hat sitting on its head, and its wearing a little green tunic. It's a doll depicting Link. I examine the doll, and I'm relieved to see that it's not a voodoo doll. Still, it's pretty freaky.

After looking through the entire room, I'm even more freaked out to find that there are dolls of every single one of us. The only ones that are missing are Kon and Miu. And the dolls are _perfect_. The hairstyles, eye colors and even the clothes are perfectly identical. I want to take these things back from me, but unfortunately when you're searching a house, you must leave everything the way it was. So instead, I pull out my C.T crystal and use the pictobox function it has, taking one picture of each doll. Then I take a picture of the alchemy circles, the black magic circles, and even the alchemy book that I had seen earlier, for future reference.

When I'm done in that room, I leave and go to the next door I see. This one has a drawing of a wolf nailed to it. I immediately think of Yashiro's older brother, Higashizawa. The guy used to love drawing wolves, and he would even ask me to draw a couple for him whenever he was having trouble with his art skills. Of course, that's just me. There's no way this room actually belongs to Higashizawa. The dude's probably a doctor in Hyrule right now, at least, that's what I'm guessing.

I enter the room, and surprisingly, it's actually rather clean. It's almost like a small study. A desk is sitting at the end of the room, a small mattress is on the floor next to it, and two large bookcases are sitting on either side of each other on the left and right walls. And it seems that the two bookshelves still weren't enough room, because there are still a bunch of tall stacks of books sitting everywhere, and the bookshelves are filled to the point of blowing up. A lot of the books are medical books, but there are a few that are about monsters, and there are a few atlases as well. There are even some books on the Royal Family and its history.

I look through the books, but I find nothing of interest, so I put the books I read back where they belonged and continued on to the next room. The door for this room has a drawing of the Goddesses on it. When I enter the room, there's nothing in here except for a bed. And a punching bag. But that's it. Nothing worth looking for in here.

The last room on this floor has a drawing of the Royal Family's crest nailed to the door. This room probably has something interesting in it. I open the door, and I'm amazed by what I see inside. A bed with the softest looking blankets in Hyrule is sitting against the wall, next to a large window. A desk is sitting against the back wall, and there are thin pink curtains hanging over the beautiful window.

"Man, a princess must live in here!" I sigh to myself as I look around. Whoever lives here sure has great taste in furniture. The floor is even carpeted!

The first thing I do is go to the bookshelf and examine the books that are inside. I drag my fingers along the spines of the books, until my eyes spot something that looks promising. It's a diary. I pull it out of the bookshelf and sit down on the soft bed, opening it to see what it says inside. The name 'Zero' is written on the inside cover. Skipping past a few pages, I finally open to the newest entry.

_Dear Diary,_

_Makoto-kun went off the hook again the other day. I had to bail him out of jail again! If he keeps getting in trouble and thrown into prison it's going to be impossible for me to keep persuading and bribing the guards to get him out again. _

Makoto-kun? No, it can't possibly be the same guy. . . no, it's not, it's impossible. I continue to read the neatly written entry.

_Anyway, guess who we ran into the other day? The Time Keepers. What a lousy bunch of 'protectors'. I haven't seen that group in years, not since the attack on Hyrule Castle. And now that Hyrule is in distress, they don't do a thing about it! I'm getting angry. When I meet their 'leader' I'm going to give him a piece of my mind!_

Wow, they really do hate us. But I guess we're partly to blame. We haven't exactly been doing our share since the Society stopped showing their faces. But I guess even though the Society hasn't been doing anything, bad things are still happening in Hyrule. I should suggest we do some work in Hyrule next time I see Link.

I close the diary and put it back in the bookshelf, desperately wanting to take it with me so I can find out any more information. But unfortunately, I have to put it back.

I check the room one last time, and then I leave, shutting the door behind me. Time to walk up the horrible stairs again. I start walking up, the stairs getting a bit more wobbly each time I go higher. And I think these stairs are creaking even louder!

When I make it safely up to the top floor, I see that there are only three doors, and that this floor is even smaller. It's so cramped that it's like a closet. I go to the first door, a drawing of a muramasa sword nailed to it. I open the door, and I'm not surprised by how dark and dusty it is. Although, I can guess that the person who lives in this room is definitely a girl. A dresser with a mirror sits next to the black-blanketed bed, and a wardrobe is sitting on the opposite side of the mirror, the doors open to reveal all sorts of gothic style dresses and clothes. Gothic plush toys of rabbits and bears are sitting on the top of the wardrobe, the toys wearing lacy dresses.

"Ugh. . ." I hiss under my breath. "Definitely nothing in here. . ." Although I'm interested in the drawing that was on her door, a drawing of a muramasa. Muramasa's are demon blades, and only the Fallen Angels ever used them. Coincidence?

I leave the room, heading straight for the next room that has a drawing of the Royal Crest of Hyrule, much like the last room I went to. But this one also has a drawing of the crest of Termina, Kalasia, and even the Dark Realm on it. There's another sign too, but I don't know what it is. I get rid of the question of what it is as I enter the room. It's much like the room that I thought might belong to Higashizawa, because there are history books thrown everywhere and a desk sitting at the back wall.

I'm really starting to get bored with all this. The only things I've found that are interesting are the voodoo dolls, the black magic and alchemy circles, and the diary. But I only have one room left, so hopefully there's something good to take a picture of there.

I close the door and turn to the last door. This room has a drawing of. . . well, a bunch of knives and two handguns. I can't stop thinking back to Makoto-kun as I look at it, but there's no way it can actually be him. Sure, I hadn't seen the dude since I died, but why in the world would he be in the Assassins? He's not that stupid. Not one bit.

I grab the doorknob and slowly open the door, still fearing that it could be Makoto. Sure he wasn't that stupid, but he was unpredictable. Not to mention the guy was completely crazy.

I step inside the room, and I feel relieved when I see the room is completely empty. Well, not completely empty. There's a mattress in the corner of the room, like all the rest of the rooms, and there are books lying around, which isn't a surprise.

But then I suddenly get this feeling. . . the feeling that I shouldn't be in this room. It's that nagging feeling that I get once in a while, the feeling that I should be doing something important - like running for my life.

I frantically search through the bookshelf, trying to find anything interesting before I leave. There's nothing, just a bunch of novels. After I'm done searching through the books, I realize that there's nothing else to search through. That's how empty this room is, that the bookshelf is the only thing that would hold anything of interest. I turn around and run for the door, when I hear something. I look down at my foot hitting the wood floor, and I realize that it's the only slab of wood that's creaking inconspicuously. I bend down and push my hand on the wood, causing it to creak more. I take my hand and slip my finger nails underneath the sides of the panel, soon realizing that it comes out easily. I fumble with it for a few minutes before I finally manage to get the slab to come out. The slab is attached to a few other pieces of wood, which also get pulled out, so there's a hole in the floor when I finally get it out. I reach my hand in, feeling around in the darkness below, until my hand hits something. I grab it, pulling it out, revealing it as a black book, similar to a diary.

Now this is the kind of stuff I've been looking for. It had been hidden under the floorboards, so it obviously held some importance for whomever lived here to hide it like that.

I sit down on the floor and open the book. It's less of a journal on the inside, and more like an album, its pages rough like cardboard paper. The first page has a strange code written on it, something that I can't decipher. So I turn to the next page, this page having a scribbled drawing of the school on it, the Hyrule Academy from Hyrule Castle Town. I keep flipping through the pages, drawings and photographs on every single one. Then I turn to a page that really scares me.

This page is more like an album than anything else. It has a picture of me in it, when I was alive. Next to my photograph is a picture of Yashiro when she was alive. The final photograph on the page is a photograph of Mitsuhiro, although it's hard to tell if it's his Reaper form or his human form, because he looked the exact same as a human. I turn the page.

No.

This is impossible.

I begin to tremble as I look at the photo I had taken back before I died, the group photo of me, Yashiro, Shuto, Makoto, Higashizawa, Taishou, Mikoshi, and all the other school friends I had before my death. It's the group photo that I had to drag everyone into the scene. I remember it like it as yesterday. I was going through a hard time, so I wanted to take a memorable photo of all of us, just in case it would be my last chance to do so. Yashiro, Shuto, Higashizawa, Mikoshi and Mitsuhiro were okay with it, as well as my old school friends, but I had to literally drag Taishou and Makoto into the picture. Although, I don't like getting my picture taken either, but I wanted a memory to last even after I died. I managed to get a perfect picture of all of us, one a regular one, and another a picture of us all goofing off.

The photo in this album has to belong to one of my old school friends, my brothers, or one of Yashiro's brothers.

Because I only gave one copy of each picture to the people that were in it.

I turn the page, and sure enough, the picture of us all doing the silliest poses is glued here. Taishou is holding a small smile, I'm sticking my tongue out at the camera, Yashiro is doing a victory pose, and Makoto is holding up two fingers behind my head like bunny ears. . . wait, what? Man, I wish I knew _that_ had happened!

Either way, unrealized jokes aside, this is definitely something I'm not leaving here. But I'd rather sit here and look through it first to try and find anything a little more interesting, something that makes it even more worth taking with me. I keep turning through the pages, looking through a bunch of drawings and maps, and then I come across another photograph. This one is just of Mitsuhiro, but it's been marked on. Black ink is spread on the photo to look like an 'x' crossing Mitsuhiro's face. Then the word 'KILL' is messily written next to it in big capital letters.

"Who would do such a-" I ask myself, but I'm cut off when I hear the faint sound of a door being shut. Now don't get me wrong, but I'm a very paranoid person. That's another reason why I'm the 'Silent One'. I can hear everything, things that a regular person would miss. It's simply because I''m always looking out for things, keeping an eye and an ear out for the dangerous things, no matter how quiet or harmless they may be. All I know now is that the Assassins are back.

I listen carefully, and I soon realize by the sound of the footsteps that there's only one person here. I can't leave yet though, I have to keep looking through this book. I sigh to myself, slowly and quietly lifting up the next page to see another strange drawing.

I hope I can get out of here in time.

* * *

**A Short Interlude**

Makoto puts his handguns inside the holsters on his belt as he enters the house, looking around the room as if to check if anything is amiss. He had come back early, mostly because he had been suspicious as to why there were Poes inside the market, and being the suspicious person he was, he had strayed from the group and come back to check the house, in case it had all been a set up. He walks through the living room, near the staircase, and stops.

He can hear it.

The sound of paper being lifted and moving to the opposite side of the book. The sound of someone turning rough paper. The sound of a person's light breathing.

"Want to play hide-and-seek?" he whispers to himself. He places his hands over top the metal of his guns. "Alright then, you'd better hide. . ."

He walks into the kitchen first, taking the lightest steps, careful not to make any form of sound. He scans the small enclosed area, and after finding nothing, he goes back into the living room, looking up at the staircase and the floors above.

"Guess there's nowhere to go but up. . ." he whispers to himself as he begins to slowly walk up the stairs, not even grabbing onto the railing for support. He manages to avoid the spots that creak on the steps as he makes it to the first floor.

"Room number one. . ." he mutters as he grabs the doorknob to the first room.

* * *

**Chapter 5 (continued)**

For some reason, I can't seem to find the guts to move. If I leave, where could I go? This house is entirely closed in, and if I were to leave the room, I would have nowhere to run. The person who entered the house would find me immediately. And I'd be totally screwed if I got caught. Based on Mitsuhiro's words, the Assassins kill any of their enemies on sight, no mercy. Of course, I doubt that any of those Assassins know how to kill a Reaper, the idiots.

I hear another door slowly close, and I can tell that the person is getting closer. I close the diary, putting it on the bed, and then I grab the slab of wood, slowly and very carefully lowering it to put it back in the floor. I have to do this carefully, slowly, so that I'm not heard. The pressure of putting the wood paneling back in is killing me, and I keep feeling that I may drop it. And I don't want to go too slowly either, in case the Assassin finds me before I can actually accomplish putting the slab back where it belongs.

Just another second. . .

Oh no.

I dropped it.

And it _clinked_.

Crap. I can already hear the Assassin running up the stairs! He's found me!

Gotta get out of here, gotta run! But as I circle the room, I realize there is no place to go besides the way I came!

Then my eyes lock on the window that leads out onto the roof. I grab the book, open the window, and step onto the window sill. Before I can escape though, the bedroom door flings open, revealing the short black-haired boy that I can only get a glimpse of before I jump out the window and onto the ground, landing on my feet and breaking into a sprint without looking back. And I keep running, gripping the book under my arm and not bothering to stop to catch my breath.

I must not have made it very far though, because I'm immediately tackled to the ground, and I feel myself flipping over, the person who had tackled me somersaulting and landing on his feet.

I look up to see the boy's backside facing towards me as he gets up from his knees.

"You Time Keepers are as rotten as ever, sneaking into peoples' homes and taking what isn't yours!" the boy hisses as he turns around, holding a gun at me. "Uzuki Kasahara."

I blink. It only takes me a second to recognize the all too familiar face.

It's Makoto Takahashi.

"Y-You're. . ." I stammer, but I don't dare to finish that sentence. If I do, he'll know exactly who I am. It's best to play along and pretend I'm not Uzuki, who apparently is already known to him.

"Long time no see, Uzuki," he mutters.

"Who are you?" I ask, trying my hardest to lie. He doesn't seem very convinced though.

"Cut the bullshit, Uzuki," Makoto chuckles, yet still in a serious tone. "You never died. . . no, you were murdered. And you became a Reaper, just as I expected. Because you want revenge against the one you hate the most, Mitsuhiro Minamimoto!" He crosses his arms, closing his eyes and smiling, trying to look smart. "And even in the end, you failed to hide it all, how you died and who you hate. . ."

"I don't know what you're talking about," I mutter. Literally, that half about 'how I died' draws a complete blank for me. I _don't_ know how I died, at all. I lost my memory of my death, and all I remember is my childhood.

Makoto sighs, shaking his head and holding his hands up in defeat. "Look, I really didn't want to do this, but it appears you leave me no choice. Stand up, we're fighting."

"H-Huh?" I stammer in surprise, getting to my feet anyways.

"You heard me! We used to spar all the time back when you and Yashiro were alive! So what's suddenly holding you back now? It's just a much more violent spar, that's all." He pulls out a second handgun, accompanying the first one that's still held at me.

"I don't want to fight you! I have no idea what's going on!"

"Ready your weapon."

"Makoto!"

"Let it begin!" He immediately pulls the trigger on one of the handguns, something I definitely did not expect him to do, and I just manage to swerve out of the way in time. Now I'm really pissed. Now I actually want to _fight._

I hold my hand out, my scythe appearing in my hand in a burst of light and pink cherry blossoms, lifting the scythe up above my shoulders with both hands.

"There you go, now you're taking it a little more seriously!" Makoto laughs as he flips both handguns over his hands, catching them again as if to show off. I charge at him with my scythe, a look of hesitation in my eyes and a look of killing in his. I know this is Makoto, but something isn't right. He's a lot more violent than he used to be, a lot crazier, a lot more vengeful. But what could he possibly want revenge against? He said that my worst enemy is Mitsuhiro, but why in the world would that be? Mitsuhiro and Makoto never had good times when Mitsuhiro was alive, but that's no reason for Makoto to automatically assume that I _hate_ him.

I swing my scythe at him, not too hard, because I don't want to actually hurt him. As a Reaper that has been training for nearly six years, I know that I'm stronger than him, and I don't want to end up hurting him severely. But all my confidence in my strength drains when he swiftly dodges my attack and shoots at me, just missing me by a centimeter. Makoto was always a good dodger, thanks to his nimble body, but I never remembered him being inaccurate. . . why did he miss? I understand him not wanting to shoot me, but if he knows I'm a Reaper, he shouldn't be afraid of killing me.

I keep swinging my scythe at him, and he keeps dodging, until he finds and opening and jumps onto the horizontal-facing blade of my scythe, jumping _extremely _high into the air and diving down at me, firing both handguns at me simultaneously. I manage to dodge all the bullets, but I can't help but notice that I never see any bullets pierce the ground. With the speed of the bullets, they should at least make a small hole in the ground when they hit, but there's never anything there, not even a bullet. And if I dodge by just a little bit, all I feel is a large burst of energy, no sharp, stinging stream of air from a bullet being fired.

When Makoto lands back on his feet, he very quickly puts his handguns into the holsters and runs at me. I can tell he's willing to fight with close combat now. I don't bother to put my scythe away, blocking his kicks and punches with the blade of my scythe. He brings up his fist again, and I bring up the blade, his fist blasting into the steel. I look at the blade, and see a tiny crack.

"Holy crap!" I exclaim, thinking out loud.

"That's right!" Makoto laughs. "You're not the only one who's gotten stronger, Uzuki-chan!" He brings up his fist again, and instead of blocking with the blade, knowing it will crack even more, I swat his fist away with the long wooden handle of the scythe. He brings up his other fist, and I do the same thing, pushing his fists downwards and away from me. I begin jabbing at him with the end of the handle, and he dodges each attack, even as I move closer and closer to him, he backs away, dodging and backing up at the same time.

"Wow, I have to admit, you've gotten a lot faster since the last time!" Makoto compliments, smiling a wide and happy smile. "But you're still not faster than me!" He suddenly and unexpectedly drops onto his back like a dog playing dead, and kicks upward, hitting me square in the jaw and knocking me back. I manage to catch my balance, but I can't help but rub the spot where he hit me with his foot.

"You know capoeira?" I exclaim. "When the hell did that happen?"

"So you do know me!" he laughs. "Ha, you're still the blunt and dense Uzuki I knew from high school!"

I grit my teeth, getting angrier by the second. I can't believe he fooled me. . . but it wouldn't have changed anything, he still would have been right about me.

"Don't be so foolish. . . Uzuki died a long time ago. . ." I hiss. "I was. . . her friend. . . and she died!"

Makoto grins.

"Believe me or not, I saw her die with my own eyes. . ." I continue. "The old Uzuki. . . is gone. You have to acknowledge that."

"Hmph, believe me or not, I saw Uzuki die with my own eyes too," Makoto snickers. "No, I saw her get _murdered_. And even Taishou, who I am declaring the smartest of us all, told me about the Reapers." He begins to walk around, seeming to enjoy his explanation. "When he told me about the Reapers, I became certain that you had become one. . . a Reaper is born when a person with a vast amount of revenge in their heart dies. You were murdered, so obviously you would want revenge against the person that killed you, correct?" He points at me, a wide smile of insanity growing on his face. "Therefore, you were born on the revenge you wanted against your murderer, Mitsuhiro Minamimoto!"

Now I'm _mad_. Mitsuhiro would never murder me! He was hit by a one of the cars in Hyrule, the cars that scientists and technicians had rebuilt from the design of the floating platforms in the City in the Sky, the cars that the scientists and technicians insisted on testing in the open streets of Hyrule Castle Town! And although I have no idea how I died, I know for certain that Mitsuhiro did not kill me. If he did, why would he be so kind and caring to me now? To make up for supposedly killing me? No, him murdering me is what never happened.

"You're lying. . ." I hiss under my breath, trying not to let all my anger explode at once.

"He killed you, and yet you still accompany him as his partner, a Time Keeper!" Makoto continues.

"Shut up. . ."

"You were reborn off your need for revenge against him."

"Shut up! Stop lying to me!" I charge at him with my scythe, really wanting to chop off his head now. I swing the blade at him in a horizontal motion, and before it hits him, he flips back like his bones are made of rubber, his head hanging down towards the ground and his body shaped like an arc as he manages to keep his balance on his own two feet. Before I can get a chance to get away, he stands up to a regular position again, lurching forward and striking his palms into my stomach, blowing me back. Blood erupts from my mouth as I land hard on my back. That strike was stronger than I had expected. I cough up blood for the next minute, trying to get my breath back. I roll onto my stomach, spitting blood onto the ground, and then after I'm sure there's no more, I slowly stand back up to my feet. I have no time for this, I need to leave right now.

I withdraw my scythe, the weapon disappearing in a burst of light, and then I turn and run in the opposite direction of the house, back in the direction which I came. Luckily it's nighttime, so I can use the darkness to my advantage. Knowing that I can't outrun Makoto, I jump up into a nearby tree and hide behind the bushes of leaves, not moving an inch so that my location won't become known. I soon see Makoto walking into the area, looking around, trying to find me. Even if he had the best vision in the world, it would still be impossible for him to find me. I'm wearing my robe, so I blend in well with the darkness surrounding me.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are. . ." he laughs. He suddenly stops, and looks up at the sky, straight where I am. I become stiff, trying not to move, not even breathe. He takes out his handguns, and immediately fires two bullets straight at me. I'm able to jump to the next tree just in time before I'm blasted.

"Found you!" he exclaims. I keep jumping to the next tree ahead of me, trying to get away. How the hell did he find me? The only way for a person to find another person in the dark is. . .

"Aura-reading!" I gasp to myself. I look back at him, just to make sure. Sure enough, the pupils in his eyes have grown out to look like rings. Makoto can read auras, just like me. That's how he managed to find my hiding spot, he had used his new ability to find my aura, therefore finding me. Now my chances of escaping have just gone down severely.

I look back at Makoto, who's gaining on me faster than I had suspected. I guess that he must be the fastest of the Assassins, and the trickiest to catch. Even when I was alive he always had a slick, fast, sneaky way to move around. I have to run faster, otherwise he'll manage to catch me in the next couple minutes.

I start to look ahead, trying to figure out where I can open a shadow portal. I soon spot a very dense part of the forest approaching; it's the perfect place to make a quick getaway. I look back at Makoto again, and he's getting closer and closer, traveling on the ground and occasionally jumping into the trees.

I start to jump through the trees faster, trying to get ahead, and when I feel that I'm far enough ahead, I take a sharp turn into the dense part of the forest. The twigs and branches scratch at my face from the area being so closed in, but I keep running, not turning back, not even looking back to see if Makoto noticed my escaping. As I jump from tree branch to tree branch, I start to open a shadow portal in the distance. I look back just a bit, to see Makoto at the entrance of the dense part of the forest, and without slowing down, I leap into the shadow portal, the portal closing immediately after I make it through.

I land on my chest in the Dark Realm, trying to get the knocked-out wind back into my lungs.

**A Very Short Interlude**

Makoto jumps onto a tree, stopping before the spot where the shadow portal had closed.

"Dammit. . . escaping was always your best ability, Uzuki. . ." he mumbles to himself. "Man. . . Mimi is _not_ going to like this. . ." He turns around, jumping back towards the entrance of the dense forest, mumbling his consequences all the way back.


	6. Secrets That Shouldn't Be Kept

Hey everyone,

I've gotten my sanity back! So it's back to work! I'm really glad that I'm back, and that I've gotten myself together again. Things are going pretty good for me now, which I am happy to say, and I'm hoping that it reflects that in my writing. Of course, it was my work in the first place that caused me to go a little. . . crazy. . . but I've gotten my sanity back for the time being, hopefully forever :D I couldn't really come up for anything with the ending here, so if I come up with anything better, I'll edit the chapter. For now, please R&R, and enjoy Chapter 6 of the Adult Chapters!

Uzuki Cheverie

**Time Gate: The Adult Chapters**

**Chapter 6: Secrets That Shouldn't Be Kept**

"Link, you ass! You never told me Makoto was an Assassin!"

"I'm sorry!"

Now, I think she's being a little _too_ harsh. So I kept a little secret, it's not like she hasn't done it before. And the secrets she's kept have been a _lot_ worse, if you know what I'm saying. So I didn't tell her that Makoto was an Assassin, big deal! There are a lot worse things going on in the world right now! But no, instead, she has to completely flip out and try to chop my head off!

"Get back here, you jackass!" Uzuki screams as she swings the smaller version of her scythe at me. "I am going to _kill you!_"

She swings the scythe at me again, and I just manage to escape by jumping behind the couch, the blade ripping through the white fabric of the furniture.

"Get out of there, you little rat!"

"No!" I cry. "You'll kill me!"

"Exactly! Now get your shit-weak-ass over here, you piece of crap!" Ack, she swore. . . she never swears. . . now I know she means business. She jumps over the couch, and I just manage to jump out of the way, escaping the blade only by an inch from my foot.

Too close.

I fumble, trying to get to my feet, but I fall onto my back, and end up backwards-crawling away from her as she charges at me on her hands and knees like an insane cat. She swings the scythe at me again, and this time when I dodge the blade, I push myself back on my butt, the blade landing in the floor right between my legs.

_Way _too close.

"Hey, watch it Uzuki!" I growl. "That's a no-fly zone!"

"You're _dead!_" Uzuki screams.

"Come on, forgive and forget!" I jump up to my feet and run to the other side of the room, near the piano. She chases me around the room, until I'm back where I started, behind the couch again. Before Uzuki can swing her scythe at me again, Yashiro walks in, a surprised look on her face.

"Whoa, Uzuki!" Yashiro shouts in surprise. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" She grabs me, defending me from Uzuki's madness. "What are you thinking? You can't kill him!"

"Yashiro, Makoto's an Assassin!" Uzuki yells.

Yashiro is silent as her eyes grow wide. ". . . Screw that, you can have him!" She pushes me in Uzuki's direction.

"You traitor!" I yell, giving Yashio an angry look. She shrugs her shoulders, a more than pleased look on her face.

"Link, how could you keep this a secret from me?" Uzuki asks angrily as she grips my shoulders.

"What happened to killing me?" I mutter. I regret my words as soon as I say them though, just in case she's still planning to actually hurt me. I don't want to encourage her.

"Link, please, just tell me what's going on!" Uzuki cries as she stares into my eyes. I know this guilt trip. She's going to try and wear my Soul and my dignity into a state of guilt, until I just get that human feeling, that humble and sympathetic feeling that I should tell her. Well, crap, I'm not telling her! Besides, it's not like it's because I promised that Zero girl, because trust me, if that was the only reason, I would totally deceived her by now and spilled everything. But it's because I know that Uzuki may not be able to actually _handle_ the truth. How would she react if she knew her brothers were also Assassins?

"Uzuki, I don't want to say anything," I mutter. "I'm sorry, but I'm not saying a word."

She looks down to the floor, breaking her gaze with me. She mutters something under her breath, but I can't make it out. Before I can ask her what she said, she leaves the room and heads for the hallway, the sound of her bedroom door slamming echoing all the way out into the quiet and nearly-empty living room.

Yashiro folds her arms, smirking as if she's amused about what happened. I can almost hear her chuckle.

"What are you laughing about?" I ask, annoyed by the fact that she's laughing at our fight.

"Just your attempts," Yashiro snickers. "Don't you know you can't keep secrets from Uzuki? She's bound to find out what you're hiding sooner or later, you know?"

I hang my head in shame and defeat. "I'm trying to keep it a secret as long as possible."

"What, are you worried she can't handle what the truth is?"

"Heh, you read my mind."

"What is the truth? Can you tell it to someone who could handle it?"

I look up at Yashiro, a hint of doubt in my eyes. "I don't think you'd be able to handle it either."

"Try me."

I draw my lips into a tight line, not wanting to reveal anything. I trust Yashiro, no doubt, but I don't want to cause any unnecessary problems either.

"I won't tell Uzuki," Yashiro continues. "She's got enough problems as it is, so I wouldn't want to build her stress levels up any further."

"You won't tell her?" I ask. "You'll be able to keep this a secret?"

"I just said that, dumbass. Duh."

"Even if you come to regret it?"

"Just spit it out already!"

I sigh, and then I think over my words before I say them. Then I look at Yashiro with a serious look.

"Yashiro, your brothers are Assassins."

Yashiro raises her eyebrow at me. "The Assassins? You mean that group that runs around Hyrule claiming themselves as heroes when really all they're doing is defying the rules of the city?"

". . .Yes." Great, here comes the part when I get punched in the face. Instead though, I hear her snicker.

"Hm, I figured as much."

I widen my eyes at her. "Y-You mean, you knew?" I ask, confused.

"Duh. Although, I didn't think my brothers were _that_ stupid. But I guess it's their choice. My brothers can do what they want."

"Are you sure? You're not bothered by this?"

"Hell no. Higashizawa is smart enough not to do anything too stupid, and Makoto was always the type to just roll along with everyone else, like an idiot. So I've got nothing to worry about. As long as they don't do anything too stupid. If they did something really stupid though, I'd have to totally kick their asses!"

"Heh, at least you look out for them. But Uzuki seemed pretty mad."

"Makes sense. Uzuki used to hang out with me, Makoto and Higashizawa a lot when we were alive, and she didn't see them as often when Makoto and Higashizawa graduated from high school. We were in the eighth grade when they graduated. She saw the two of them once in a while, but she always made sure they weren't up to any trouble. She's. . . motherly that way."

"You can say that again," I chuckle, remembering back to all the times when she would flip out when I got wounded from training or missions.

"So you can say that Uzuki is best friends with my two brothers," Yashiro continues. "Although, you seemed more worried about her handling the truth. . . is there someone else in the group that she would be worried about?"

I bite my lip before thinking over my answer. ". . . Taishou and Mikoshi."

Yashiro breaks out into hysterical laughter.

"That fatass?" she laughs as she holds her stomach, tears starting to form in her eyes. "Goddess Din, that's hilarious! I can't believe it!"

"Fat. . .?" I ask.

"Aw man, I remember the first time I met that dude. . . Uzuki said he was 'big', and when I saw him, he was freakin' huge! She kept trying to convince me that he was just 'big', but there's no denying that that guy is fat!"

"Alright, enough with the stuff about their weight. What do you know about them?"

Yashiro laughs one more time before regaining her composure, wiping the tears of laughter from her eyes. "Well, Mikoshi and Taishou are both brothers, and they're Uzuki's half brothers; Uzuki and her brothers have the same father, but different mothers. Anyways, Taishou is the oldest one; he's about two or three years older. But I gotta say, he's a big dude. Mikoshi is more on the skinny side."

"Okay, but I didn't ask for their weight class. What do you know about them?"

"I can't tell you much considering I never really met them. I met Mikoshi at a band concert back when we were alive, and I also met Taishou at another band concert. Taishou is a quiet guy, and he doesn't say much, but when he does, he always makes you laugh. Mikoshi is a bit more outgoing, and he's also a pretty funny guy. Their knowledge is kinda different though. Mikoshi studies things like the Goddesses and stuff, and Taishou studies all the history of Hyrule and the previous leaders of Hyrule, stuff like that. They're both pretty smart when it comes to subjects like that."

"I see. But why would they join the Assassins?"

"I'm asking myself that one right now. I mean, I understand why Makoto would join, he's just stupid and bored enough to do it. And these days, wherever one of my brothers go, the other is sure to follow, so I'm sure Makoto dragged Higashizawa into the Assassins too. But why would Taishou and Mikoshi join? They have such successful lives. You'd think they'd be too busy. . . no, they'd be too _smart_ to join that group. They all have to have joined for a good reason. If not, then I'm going to kill them."

"We should look more into this later," I suggest, "when we actually have the time to do so. And after I manage to explain it to Uzuki. I'll wait for her to calm down a little though, when she's having a good day."

"No, you should wait for her to have a bad day," Yashiro says.

"Why?"

"Uzuki rarely has good days. You wouldn't want to spoil it for her, now would you?"

"No, I guess you're right. . ."

We both hear a door slam at that moment. Uzuki walks back out into the room, her face dark and depressed-looking.

"Wakey-wakey," Yashiro laughs. "How was your brief 'sleep'?" The way she puts a strain on the word 'sleep' confuses me. She couldn't have slept in that short five minutes.

"Yashiro, Link," she begins, her voice low and tired. "I found something at the house that I thought you would find interesting." She reaches into her back pocket and pulls out a black diary, her hand shaking as she does it, like she's afraid.

"I don't think you'll like what you're about to see," she mumbles as she hands the diary to me for further examination. I look at the front and back cover, the entire book completely black on the outside. I open it to the first page, where a strange un-decipherable code is written on the album-like paper. The next page has a strange drawing scribbled on the paper, a drawing of what appears to be the Hyrule Academy. The drawing almost appears to be rushed though. Every single page seems to have a drawing or strange photograph on it, until I hit the page that actually has a _normal _photograph glued to it. It's a photograph of all these humans gathered around in the picture, and I notice that four of the Assassins are in the picture; both Uzuki and Yashiro's brothers. When I flip the page, the next photograph is the same, except this time the humans in the picture are doing goofy poses and making silly faces.

I look at Uzuki, who has become as white as a sheet since she first came back into the room; as least, as pale as her skin color can allow her to be. I can tell she doesn't like the site of these photos at all. . . but they're just a bunch of humans, why should it bother her so much?

"I personally don't want to keep this thing laying around," Uzuki mutters. "I'd like to burn it."

"Burn it?" I ask. "But this thing has some important information. . ."

"Link, don't you know who those people in the photo are?" She points to the girl with the curly golden-brown hair. "Take a guess at who that is. Go on, take a wild shot at it."

"Um. . ." I stare at the person, but I don't feel any recognition at all. "I don't know. . ."

"Link," Uzuki hisses, "that's _me_."

I blink, looking at the photo of the human, and then at the real Uzuki standing right in front of me, trying to see how the two look alike. They don't look one bit alike at all.

"That can't be. . ."

"It's me when I was _alive_, Link. What, did you think I always looked like this?"

Well, I had certainly grown used to that look. I had never seen her as a human, and this appearance. . . this human body of hers is certainly something I had never imagined to look like. In her human form, she has crystal blue eyes, like a typical person who lives in Hyrule, and she's actually shorter. She has medium-length wavy hair that is a golden-brown color; not dark, but almost caramel. Her skin color is lighter than it is now, and she's quite skinny, with long thin arms.

"And that's Yashiro," Uzuki says, pointing at the taller girl next to her in the photo. Of course, she does resemble Yashiro in a way. She has a pudgier face though, with a smaller build, and her hair is actually quite short, down to her shoulders at least.

"Whoa, you look weird," I chuckle.

"Hey, shut up," Yashiro grumbles, turning her head to the side. "I was only a kid back then. Don't forget that I'm older than you Link. Back then, we were sixteen. You would have been. . . thirteen."

"When was this photo taken?" I ask.

"Those two photos were taken the day before I died," Uzuki explains. "Why?"

"I was thirteen, right? That means you found me the moment you were Reapers."

"We newborn Reapers had to awaken first, and for some reason, according to the others, I was in a coma for quite some time," Uzuki says. "We trained for a few months, then formed the Time Keepers, and then found you. You must have just had your thirteenth birthday when we became Reapers if you were still thirteen when we found you. We were Reapers for nearly a year before we found you in Clock Town."

"So this Makoto kid," I point to the black haired kid who's making bunny ears behind Uzuki's head, "must have known you before you died?"

"Makoto was Yashiro's stepbrother, and a close friend of mine," Uzuki answers.

"What a little ass," Yashiro laughs.

"This kid was hard to deal with back when he captured me, that's for sure," I snicker.

"Kid? Why are you calling him a kid? He's older than both of us," Uzuki mutters.

"What? But he's so short. . ."

"Link, he's twenty-five years old."

"Twenty-five? That can't be right!"

"He's four years older than me and Yashiro, that much I remember."

_Zero wasn't lying when she said he was older than you_, Dex says.

_No wonder he could fight like that, he's had way more years than me to train. . ._ I reply.

"Just burn the book, Link," Uzuki murmurs. "I've seen enough of it. I hate the sight of that damn book."

"Are you sure?" I ask.

"Burn it. Make sure all the pages and everything inside the book is nothing but ashes. I don't want to see it again."

I close the book, gripping it tightly in my hands. I don't want to burn it, but what can I do with it?

Uzuki starts towards the hallway, before turning her gaze back to me.

"I've finished my mission, Link," she says, "which means there's nothing left for me to tell you. Is there anything else you want me to do?

I look back up at her, considering her question for a moment before answering, "Just watch out for the Assassins. Try not to make contact with them, but keep an eye on them from the mirrors." And by mirrors, I mean the portable Mirrors of Twilight we have set up throughout the house. We can watch all over Hyrule and Termina with those things.

"Understood," she says as she leaves the room and heads back to her own bedroom, the door slamming behind her.

"Heh, like I said, she rarely has good days," Yashiro snickers, smiling to herself. "So what about you, Mr. Leader? Any ideas, or are we just gonna go with it this time?"

Go with it. That's basically what we've been doing up until now. Coming up with plans in a split second, and just making through problems by the skin of our teeth. The fire at Lon Lon Ranch. Getting rid of the twilight all over Hyrule. The horrible incident with the Kyodai no Akuma. All of those problems were solved last minute, each one of us just coming up with a plan as we went along. I don't want to be caught in a situation like that again. Which means I have to plan.

I lean on the coffee table, using my elbows for support as I bring my thumbnail to my lips, gently chewing on the end of my thumbnail as I think. One of the things that Uzuki has taught me is planning ahead; strategizing. I have to continuously ask myself questions, so I don't make a single mistake. It's like the games of chess I used to play with Uzuki. What moves can I make, and what moves could the enemy, the Assassins, make? And more importantly, what could I do that would assure I wouldn't get my defense broken?

It's all about thinking ahead, and taking note of every single possibility.

Ambush the Assassins. That could help in finding information, but there's the small chance that they'll actually manage to overpower us. We only have five members, seven if you count Kon and Miu (but they wouldn't count as much of a threat towards the Assassins). They have seven members as well, but they overpower us in numbers when it comes to strength (because like I said, we only have seven if you count Kon and Miu, but they don't count as much). Which means we either take out a couple of their members, or we get more.

Getting more members seems too risky. There are only a handful of people in the world that know about the Reapers and the Society, but there are none that are either strong enough to help or even want to help or even think that our goal is possible.

Taking down a couple of their members seems downright impossible at this point, especially because I have no idea who the strongest member of the Assassins is. So far I'm betting Makoto is the leader, but I could be wrong. He could just be really headstrong and ready to kill someone.

I can't forget that Zelda is supposedly a member of the Time Keepers either. There has to be some way she can help us find out more about the Assassins, because it's obviously been her own Hyrulian knights that have had the most contact with them.

Other than ambushing them, we have to find out more about the Assassins. Who's their leader anyways? How long have they been doing this?

And why do I feel like I've met Zero before?

I realize that I've been staring into space after Yashiro snaps her finger in front of my eyes.

"Well? Any ideas?" Yashiro asks. "Or are you just going to blank out again? Because I have methods of waking people up from trances, if you know what I mean."

Something tells me she means a punch in the face. Ignoring her little comment, I stand up from the couch and head to the small Mirror of Twilight that's sitting on the kitchen table, unattended to. The only problem with these things is that there's no audio, so they're not as good as the C.T. crystals. Mirrors are big and you can get a view of anything, but there's no sound. C.T. crystals have visuals and sound, but you can only see a very small part of what you're looking at.

I sit down at the table and bring up an image of Hyrule Castle Town on the Mirror, scrolling through the multiple areas of the city, from the alleyways to the local park. The place is crowded as usual, so there's not much for me to see. But soon I spot someone sitting over in the park on one of the swings, a woman with long blond hair and a pair of dark sunglasses resting on her forehead. I immediately recognize the person as Zero.

"What's she doing there. . .?" I ask myself in a low whisper so that Yashiro doesn't hear. I watch Zero on the screen, waiting for something to happen. She's just sitting there, minding her own business. At least, until a group of three boys come walking into the scene. And from what I can make out, they're the same three boys that picked a fight with me when I was fifteen.

_Dang, they're still there!_ Dex laughs.

_I know. What do you think's going to happen?_ I ask.

_Who knows? Looks like they're talking though._

_You're right, they are. Dammit, I need audio. . . _

I start to eye the spare C.T. crystal that's sitting by itself on the table. We've always got a couple extra crystals laying around, just in case we lose one, or in some cases, give one away to someone else. I grab the crystal and stare at it for a few moments, switching my gaze to the image on the Mirror every few seconds.

C.T. crystals have audio but small images.

Mirrors have big images but no audio.

It's perfect!

"Yashiro!" I call.

Yashiro walks in from the living room. "What do you want?"

"Go get Uzuki for me!"

"Um, why didn't you just call Uzuki yourself?"

"Because I don't think she'll come for me. Just get her."

Yashiro shrugs her shoulders and then heads down the hallway to Uzuki's room. I impatiently wait for the door to open and for Uzuki and Yashiro to start talking. I hear a low conversation from down the hallway, and soon Uzuki comes walking into the kitchen.

"I'm tired Link, so make it quick," she mumbles.

"Sit down," I order, pointing to the seat next to me without taking my gaze off the crystal. She hesitates for a second, and then sits down. After staring at the crystal for a few more moments, I look at Uzuki, holding the crystal towards her.

"C.T. crystals have audio, and Mirrors don't, right?" I ask.

"Uh, yeah. I figured you knew that," Uzuki says.

"Can't we make a version of both? A Mirror that has both visuals and sound?"

"I-I don't know. Something like that could be made, I guess."

"How long would it take you to make it?"

"Depends. It could take five minutes, or it could take days. It depends how complex the process is."

"Try it right now. I need audio on this Mirror image right away," I demand, pointing to the image onscreen that has fortunately stayed the same.

Uzuki sways her hand at me, gesturing for me to move over. I do, and she moves into my spot in front of the Mirror.

"I'm going to need to turn this thing off while I do this," Uzuki mutters, turning to look at me for assurance.

"Um, go ahead," I reply.

Uzuki turns back to the crystal and the Mirror, and pulls out her sketchbook. She starts to draw in all sorts of strange things, and after bringing them out from her sketchbook, she starts to attach the items to both the crystal and the Mirror. After a few minutes of fiddling around with the items, sounds can be heard from the Mirror.

"Hey, you did it! That was fast!" I exclaim, pushing Uzuki back to her original spot.

"Easier than I thought, I guess," she mutters as she stands up from her chair. "I can hook up crystals to all the Mirrors, if you want."

"That would be great. You don't mind, do you?"

"No, I need something to do. I'll give you the heads-up when I'm done. Until then, just sit tight and use the one you have now. If it starts acting funny, just move the wires a little."

"Wires. . .?" I ask, dumbfounded. I have no clue what she's talking about.

". . . Just call me if anything goes wrong," she sighs as she grabs a handful of C.T. crystals off the table. She turns around and leaves for the next room, where the next Mirror is set up. Meanwhile, I turn to my own Mirror and start to watch the video, listening in on the conversation. Surprisingly enough, the group of boys are still talking to the woman, and they almost seem friendly with one another.

"Look, all I'm asking you is that you keep the trouble down to a minimum," Zero says. "We can't have newly joined Assassins causing trouble, now can we?"

"All we want is for people to understand who's on top around here!" the leader of the group yells. Well, the leader is still a total jackass.

"You should understand that _we_ are on top. Not you. Not the Time Keepers. Not even the Hyrulian knights. The Assassins are on top. Keep running around with an attitude like that, and we may not be able to guarantee another morning for you."

"Hey, she's threatening us!"

Never mind, they are most certainly _not _friendly with each other.

"So what are you going to do about it?" Zero snickers as she swings herself a little further on the swing.

"Boss, she's a girl. . ." one of the gang members mutters.

"You're all children," Zero hisses.

"Forget that fact right now! She has to learn a little lesson about respect!" the leader yells, and the three boys begin to circle her.

_They outnumber her, _Dex reminds me.

_All we can do is watch,_ I reply. _Zero is an Assassin, she has to be prepared for something like this. _

And just like I expected, as soon as the boys try to grab at her, she flips them and has them defeated in less than a minute. She doesn't even lay a hand on them after she flips them. Instead she pulls out a long shining blade and holds it to the leader's neck.

"Don't threaten me," Zero warns, "or I'll cut your throat."

"What makes you think you have the authority to hurt me?" the leader challenges, although he sounds quite shaken despite his courage.

"I have every right to pass judgement upon a human being, or a Hylian, or anyone that is born as a citizen of Hyrule," she says in a clear statement without even batting an eye.

"Who do you think you are, the ruler of Hyrule?"

Zero lifts her sword and slides it down her back underneath her miniskirt trenchcoat. I didn't even know that was where the sheath was. It's hidden under her shirt and seems to be tied to her back underneath her clothing. It's amazing how she can move so quickly without the sword hindering her spinal movements.

"I can't tell you who I am," Zero hisses as she turns around to leave. "They're listening."

I stare wide-eyed at Zero as she looks up at the sky and smiles, almost as if she's looking at _me_. Then she snaps her neck forward and runs off, disappearing into the crowds of the market.

I lean back into my seat, trying to process the words that just come out of the woman's mouth. She had been acting as if she actually did have the authority to hurt a human being purposely, but the only ones I know who would have the right place in authorities to do that would be high ranking rulers in the Royal Family, for example, the Sages, or Princess Zelda.

Could she actually be a member of the Royal Family?

That sword she was using _did_ look a lot like the swords that men and women in the Hyrulian defense system use. And the clothes she was wearing didn't look cheap either. She also had the sort of Royal Family look to her. . . the sharp regal look that Princess Zelda has. . .

"Whoa, you're jumping to conclusions, Link," I warn myself. "Slow down, figure out what's going on now."

But before I can start my thought process again, the C.T. crystal around my neck starts to glow and move underneath the collar of my tunic shirt. I pull the crystal out and bring up the image, Zelda appearing on the screen.

"Well, speak of the devil, I was just thinking of you," I mutter sarcastically, although I don't think she notices the sarcasm.

"Shut up, Link, I don't need your flattery," she mutters. "I've had a bad day."

"You look like you've been running."

"I _have _been running; all over the castle, trying to get things done! People are freaking out over here because of the Assassins, and it's driving me completely insane!" she sighs in annoyance.

"It doesn't surprise me that they'd cause quite a riot over there. I just saw an Assassin in the park. Zero."

"Zero? Never heard of her. But she's an Assassin, so she can't be good, right?" she asks me, but she sounds distrusting again. It's almost like she's trying to stifle a laugh.

"I've met her, and believe me when I say, she's a real _demon_. I wouldn't want to get caught with her in a fight. Be careful, you might end up running into her."

"I'm perfectly safe inside the castle, thank you very much."

"That's what worries me. I think she may actually be a member of the Royal Family."

Zelda flinches for a second. "W-What makes you think that?" she stammers nervously as she puts on a fake ecstatic expression. I can tell the force behind her face.

"She has a sword that's only used by Hylian knights, and she just fits the part. Also because she told off a bunch of gang members that she was a high enough authority member to be able to legally hurt them."

Zelda doesn't reply at first, but then she answers with, "I'll try and snoop her out then. What does she look like? Do you at least have a visual description?"

"She's a Hylian, a little shorter than me, with long blond hair and a pair of dark sunglasses. Wears this grey trenchcoat-tunic thing, with a pair of sandals. Like I said, she fits the part; I could never see a regular Hylian afford clothes like that."

"I'll keep an eye out for her then, but I can't guarantee anything."

"It helps to be helpful."

"Cut the cheesy lines, Link, I'm in a bad mood."

"Uh, sorry. . ." And since when were those lines cheesy? She used to laugh at stuff like that all the time.

"Either way, that's not the reason I called you. I have something I wish to ask of you, actually."

"Ask away."

"Would it be alright if we met up in about an hour? For Time Keeper purposes? I want to snoop out the Assassins myself; the knights are taking too long."

"Don't tell me _you're_ denying the knights now!" I groan. "Look, I know they haven't been in the best shape lately, but they're all you have for protection, both inside of the castle and outside! You shouldn't judge the help!"

"I-I know, but it's just a pain, and besides, I'm a Time Keeper now, right? Consider this my first mission."

"Zelda-"

"Besides, I have the leader of the Time Keepers working with me, so I know I won't get hurt." Then she smiles. Is she trying to be cute just to get me to do this for her? But she is really hard to say no to. . .

"Fine, if you want, but you're doing this on your own risk," I mutter.

"Heh, it won't matter at all if I do go at my own risk. I'm the Princess of Hyrule, you can't let me get hurt even if you wanted to," she snickers.

"T-That's just mean. . ."

Zelda laughs. "Alright, see you in an hour."

"Why an hour? It doesn't take me that long to get down there from the Dark Realm."

"I need to get a few more. . . um. . . _issues_ under control. I think I can take care of them in an hour before you get here. Meet me at the gates to the castle, alright?"

"Castle gates, alright. See you then, I guess." The image closes and I drop the crystal to resume its position underneath my shirt collar.

"Uzuki, Yashiro, I'm heading out!" I yell.

"Don't take long, we may get a mission," Yashiro says from the living room. Uzuki doesn't respond.

"Don't wait up," I yell before running out the door and towards the Mirror Sanctuary. I have an hour. So I may as well take my time.

* * *

**An Interlude**

Zero walks through the streets of Hyrule, ignoring the envious stares from the citizens looking at her clothes and at her untouchable beauty. Underneath the sunglasses and the blond bangs however, her blue eyes were sharp, with a gaze that could possibly kill a person if stared at directly. And as she walks farther down the street, a grin stretches across her face as her killing blue eyes spot the girl and boy couple sitting at a table at the outdoor restaurant, just as she had planned.

Zero walks up to the couple, and without introducing herself to them, sits down across from them. The two stare at her strangely, wondering why a sharp looking woman like her would come out of nowhere and sit at their table.

"Who are you?" the short black-hair girl asks as she raises her eyebrow in disgust.

"Blah, what do you want, girl?" the boy asks, letting his tongue hang out of his mouth in disapproval and disrespect.

"You two sure are nice to an old friend," Zero mutters sarcastically as she takes off her glasses and pulls her hair back slightly to reveal her recognizable crystal-blue eyes.

The two stare at her, and then widen their eyes in shock and suprisement.

"Princess. . ." the girl starts.

". . . Zelda?" the boy finishes. "Zelda-chan, you're here?" he exclaims. "Dammit, you really are-"

Before the boy can yell out anymore, Zero jumps up and covers his mouth with her right hand, gripping both sides of his face violently with her fingers on one side and her thumb on the other.

"Quiet down, Vincent, I don't need you starting an uproar!" Zero hisses.

Vincent's words come out as muffles from Zero's hand over his mouth, and he finally sticks out his tongue and licks her hand, forcing Zero to pull her hand away.

"Ugh, well, nice to know you're still as disgusting as ever," Zero scoffs, wiping the saliva from her hand on the side of her tunic.

The boy wipes the loose saliva from the corner of his mouth and then points at her.

"I don't think she's actually Zelda, she could just be a look-a-like!" he accuses.

"But she knows your name. . ." the girl sighs.

"I still don't believe it. Tell me, what's your full name?"

"Zelda 'Zero' Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule."

"Eh. . . I'm still not convinced! Everyone who's anyone knows what Zelda's full name is! Answer this one: what was the name of the 'Hero of Time' that you always spoke of years ago?"

Zero rolls her eyes. "Link Nohansen Hyrule."

"Uh. . . how old is he?"

"Back then or now?"

"Both!"

"Back then, he was thirteen. Now he's eighteen, same age as me."

Vincent growls under his breath. "Alright, final question!"

"You're killing me," Zero mutters sarcastically.

"Name off all the Sages and their origin points, along with their race!"

"Vincent, even _you_ don't know the answer to that!" Zero hisses.

"She's right. . ." the girl whispers.

"Shut up! Just answer the question!"

Zero sighs. "Rauru, Sage of Light, a Hylian. Supposedly originated from Hyrule Castle Town, but exact location is unknown. However, he's believed to have connections with the Sage Owl, Kaepora Gaebora. He is also deemed to be a previous member of the Royal Family."

"Continue," Vincent demands.

"Saria, Sage of Forest, a Kokiri. Originated from the Kokiri Forest."

"Darunia, Sage of Fire, leader of the Gorons. Originated from the Goron City on Death Mountain, Kakariko."

"Ruto, Sage of Water, Princess of the Zoras. Originated from Zoras' Domain."

"Impa, Sage of Darkness, a surviving Sheikah. Originated from Kakariko. Also _my_ housekeeper." She glares at Vincent as she growls the extra fact about Impa.

"Nabooru, Sage of Spirit, leader of the Gerudo tribe. Originated from Gerudo Desert."

"And finally, the last sage, and the leader of _all_ the sages, Zelda Nohansen Hyrule, holder of the Triforce of Wisdom, companion of the Hero of Time, Princess of Destiny and of Hyrule, originated from Hyrule Castle Town, and last but not least, the famous Assassin, Zero. Me." Zero folds her arms and gives Vincent a satisfied smirk. "Happy now, weirdo?"

"But-"

"Vincent, just let it go already, your girlfriend and I both know that you've lost," Zero growls as she leans farther on the table, glaring at them. "Learn when to give up."

"Yuuki, do you think this is Zelda?" Vincent asks in a defeated tone.

"Sorry Vincent, but that's Zelda, there's no doubt about it," the girl named Yuuki gives in.

"Thank you! At least someone here knows how to face facts!" Zero sighs as she leans back into her chair again.

"What happened to you Zelda?" Yuuki asks her best friend.

"Quiet down, please. And is it too much to ask to call me Zero? I don't want people getting suspicious. . ." Zero whispers.

"Uh, okay. . . so where have you been?" Yuuki asks in a quieter voice. "You kinda disappeared off the face of the earth last time we met up."

"I got pretty busy," Zero answers. She had never told her friends she had gained a Twili Soul. She had also never told them she was an Assassin either; at least, not until before she blew up on Vincent about the fact that Zelda, holder of the Triforce of Wisdom, was also an Assassin named Zero. She had accidentally let that one slip, but she was hoping that they were too shocked to notice.

"You said you were an Assassin," Vincent mumbles. "Is that true?"

_Dammit, leave it to Vincent to pay attention at the weirdest times!_ Zero thinks angrily.

"Yes, I do recall saying that at some point in time," Zero mutters. _Shoot, now I sound like Higashizawa!_

_Personality failure_, the Twili voice from inside her head snickers.

"Why would you do that? Don't you know how dangerous those people are?" Yuuki asks in a worried voice. "I mean, they've killed so many people. . ."

"Rumors."

"W-What?"

"Those are rumors."

". . . How can you be so sure about that?"

"Because," Zero starts as she pulls a knife out and stabs it into the table, "I've been with them for years, since they started. And we have never hurt anybody. We have people we _want_ to kill, no doubt about that; but they're evil people that deserve to die."

"But what were you thinking? Do you know how worried Vincent and I have been about you? I mean, we haven't seen you in school once ever since you started acting funny a few years ago, and you didn't even bother to meet up with us until now!"

"Do you think it's easy being an Assassin? All these years, I've been training. And now, I'm one of the strongest Assassins ever. Those Reapers won't know what hit them."

"Hey, don't hurt any Reapers!" Vincent retorts, grabbing a nearby fork and holding it at Zero. "Hurting a Reaper is like hurting me!"

"Vincent, I'm after a certain _group_ of Reapers, not every single Reaper on the planet," Zero snaps. "Besides, if I didn't look at you as a friend, I would have killed you a long time ago. You creep me out in a lot of ways, but it's because you're so crazy that you're still my friend." Zero grabs the fork from his hand, bending the top of the fork down with just her thumb. "And don't threaten me into battles you can't win."

"I thought you said you hated crazy people," Yuuki mutters.

"Heh, you have no idea. Besides, working alongside with one of Hyrule's craziest minds for the past few years changed my perspective on life a little."

"Craziest mind?" Vincent asks in a surprised tone. "E-Even crazier than me?"

"Hey, I said _one_ of Hyrule's craziest minds, not the craziest," Zero snickers.

"Yippee, I'm still the craziest!" Vincent cheers, waving his arms up into the air and letting his tongue hang over his amazingly large Reaper fangs. He was like a cartoon character, the way he acted, like he didn't have a care or any sort of responsibility in the world.

Zero sighs. "Not something to really be proud of, but okay. . . look, I'm really on a tight leash here. You two have to promise me you won't tell _anyone_ that I'm an Assassin. There are too many people that could figure out who I really am."

"You realize though that if you do get caught, there is going to be quite a heavy price to pay," Yuuki points out, a grim look crossing her face. "You would be punished for defying the laws of Hyrule. . . that would be punishable by. . ." She doesn't finish her sentence, and looks down to her feet underneath the table, the grim look on her face becoming even more distraught.

"I'm prepared for such a situation," Zero mutters. "Besides, I'm not planning on getting caught anytime soon. As long as nobody reveals my secret. Can I trust you two to keep this hidden from others?"

Yuuki and Vincent immediately nod.

"I'm counting on you two." Zero takes out her sunglasses again and places them over her eyes. Then she pulls out a C.T. crystal and looks at the built-in clock. "I only have about twenty minutes left. I have somewhere I need to be. A meeting with a Time Keeper to be more precise." She stands up from the table, pushing the chair back into its original place.

"I thought the Assassins and the Time Keepers were enemies," Vincent mumbles as he stares at his bent fork.

"Oh, they are. But I didn't say I play fair." She lifts out a bandanna from one of the pockets on the skirt of her tunic. A Time Keepers headband.

"You're a Time Keeper too?" Yuuki asks surprisingly.

"I'm risking everything to save Hyrule right now. Even working with my enemies." Zero takes the large headband and ties it loosely around her neck, letting it hang on her chest. She turns around, but doesn't leave before turning her gaze back to Vincent and Yuuki.

"You know, the Assassins are still recruiting. We could always use some extra members," she says, smiling at her two friends. "Do you two want all of us to train you?"

Instead of nodding as Zero had hoped, they both shake their heads.

"I'm sorry Zel - er, Zero - but I don't really want to," Yuuki answers. "This may sound selfish but, I like living life the way I am now, with Vincent and all my school friends, including you. I don't want to risk my life for such a foolish battle."

"As much as I love to punch, bite, and kick the asses of other people, I'm with Yuuki on this one," Vincent agrees, putting an arm over Yuuki's shoulder. Then he laughs. "Ha, that's probably the first sane thing I've ever said in my life!"

"Aw, and we needed more insane people. . . oh well, I guess beggars can't be choosers, right?" Zero snickers. "But if you ever change your mind, I'm always around, so come and tell me if you do, alright?"

"That won't be necessary," Yuuki laughs.

"See you two later. I've got a Time Keeper to meet up with." Zero waves, and then turns around, leaving the two high school students alone at the cafe table.

"See you later. . . Zelda," Vincent says as she leaves.

Zero smirks to herself as she walks towards the entrance of Hyrule to await Link.


	7. Time Keeper Zelda   Assassin Zero

Hey everyone,

What, another chapter? Wow, and that quickly too? Yes, I have been working on chapters bit-by-bit while on my hiatus (does that sound about right?), so I'm getting chapters done ahead of time that will be published faster. I'm hoping that this system will work for me, and won't end up biting me in the butt later. As usual, please R&R, and enjoy the very-quickly-released (and a bit shorter) Chapter 7 of Adult Chapters!

Uzuki Cheverie

A message I've thought too much about

Maybe it'll reach somebody, who can say?

Certainly, I've always been this way

A patched up, crazy matryoshka

A package sung by a headache

Time may pass, but the hands are at 4

Don't tell anyone;

The world will turn upside down.

- Matryoshka (English Translation)

**The Legend of Zelda: Time Gate**

**Chapter 7: Time Keeper Zelda/Assassin Zero**

". . .Link, you can stop glaring at me, I'm not going to say anything."

"I still don't get you."

"Well, glaring isn't going to help a thing. Don't you know it's rude to stare at women?"

I scowl at her as I look away, tempted to glare at her again but keeping my gaze focused ahead of me as we walk through the crowded streets of Castle Town. But even as we walk through here, in broad daylight, no one seems to notice Zelda walking beside me. Maybe they just don't recognize her? Maybe they actually _don't_ recognize her; it would make perfect sense. The Princess Zelda always used to walk through the market, wearing a royal dress and headdress, with Impa trailing behind her. Impa isn't even with her this time around, which strikes me as a surprise, and Zelda isn't even wearing her regular dress. Instead, she's wearing this big trenchcoat and a pair of white pants that travel to her knees, with a pair of sandals. Attached to the sleeves of this particular trenchcoat are multiple buttons, seams, and even slips of paper, almost like she's a walking day planner.

"Why would you even want to join the Time Keepers anyway?" I ask curiously.

"Why does it matter to you?" she hisses.

"It matters! Princesses don't just suddenly join a group of fighters trying to protect against the forces of evil for no reason! What, is it like when you were Sheik? Is that it?"

"That was a different matter."

"Why is it so different?"

". . . I'm just sick and tired of it, that's all."

"Of what?"

She doesn't reply, and walks ahead of me into the main plaza of Hyrule. The crowds are as thick as ever, and the commotion is just as loud. I don't like all the noise here; it makes it way too hard for me to even think. I need a quiet place, some place where people aren't yelling, laughing too loud, or screaming things to other people from across the market.

I finally spot the empty park where I used to go all the time. That place never has anyone there, and frankly, I have no idea why. It's not like it's haunted or anything. . . I mean, that group of idiots may still be there – the guys that picked a fight with me last time – but that's nothing to get too worked up over. I bet they're not even there anymore, especially after their encounter with Zero.

"Zelda, mind if we go to the park?" I ask her. She's staring up at a building at something that isn't even there. "Zelda?"

She blinks, and then breaks her gaze with the sky to look at me. "What?"

"Want to go to the park? It's quieter there, and I'll be able to think better."

"O-Oh, sure," she stammers as she turns in the direction of the small park. She looks back up at the building before looking forward again. I look back myself to see if anything's there, but there's nothing. It's just the top of a house.

_What could she be staring at?_ I think to myself.

When we get to the park, I sit down on the swing that I always used to sit on, and I gesture for Zelda to sit on the swing next to me. She hesitates at first, but then she sits down, and we both watch the people go by as we let our thoughts recollect themselves.

"You said you were sick and tired of it. What do you mean?" I ask, hoping I don't regret my question.

"It's nothing, they're just words," she replies.

"Words hold a thousand meanings. At least, that's what I think."

"Well, these words hold no meaning. So drop it."

I begin to stare at her again, trying to understand the strange thoughts that are going through her mind. Unfortunately, I can only read auras, not thoughts. If I could read thoughts, I would have made it a lot farther into the conversation by now.

"Zelda, you're my friend. My best friend. You know if there's anything bothering you, you can tell me, right?" I ask.

She turns away. "It's nothing even worth knowing."

"Well, it's making you act all weird, so it's obviously worth knowing."

"I'm not acting weird."

"Yes, you are."

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

"No, I'm not! I'm fine Link!"

I groan under my breath as I look at the gravel beneath my feet. I see a cat sitting next to a tree from here, minding its own business. A few kids are playing with wooden swords just across the street, having fun. People are trying to buy worthless items for extremely high prices at the local auctions, all of them crowding around to get to the item first. I can read all of them, all of their auras, and I understand them. But when I look to my left, there's Zelda, who's aura is clear, but meaning is blurry. It's like she's managing to hide the truth from me, in both her aura, and in reality. A kind of truth that she wouldn't want me to know, maybe not even those closer to her, like Impa. Is it a dangerous truth, or just a secretive truth that she doesn't want anyone to know? Why is it apparently not important?

"Uh oh. . ." I mutter under my breath, my ears perking up when they hear the faint crunch of gravel from the distance, and the very quiet snickering. I look at Zelda, who's apparently noticed the sound too.

"What is it?" she asks.

"They're here. . ." I groan, remaining on my swing.

"What? Who's here?"

"_Them_." I look back to see the three boys from before, the same three boys who had deliberately attacked me and chased me through Hyrule Castle Town, resulting in their leader getting thrown into the pavement. I can't believe those bastards aren't in jail yet. . . don't they have anything better to do than hang around this stupid park? And considering they got their butts handed to them by Zero, they should be too afraid to come back here again.

"Would you look at that, tunic boy is back!" the leader cackles when he sees me. He's the one with the spiky blond hair and the buff arms, although now that I've gotten a few muscles and grown a few feet, he doesn't look as intimidating as he used to. And at least now he remembers who I am. But how could he forget? If you don't remember, I punched him into the ground the first time I met him, and his so-called 'friends' left him behind in fear of me attacking them next.

"Aw, he musta' missed us," the second boy laughs. He's the small scrawny, pencil-like kid that couldn't lift up a textbook if he tried, and has the white hair that hangs over his eyes from underneath his hat.

I don't respond. Neither does Zelda. We just both continue to stare forward, not looking at the boys in fear of provoking them any further.

"And he still doesn't talk," the third boy mutters. "He may not be able to talk, but he should at least remember that this place is _ours_." This guy is also scrawny, but not as scrawny as the white-haired boy, and he looks like Shuto with his spiky black hair and his medium-length height. Either way, they still all look like kids. And now that I'm older, I'm positive I can kick their sorry butts.

"Jackasses," I mutter.

"What did you just say?" the leader yells.

"Jackasses," I repeat, louder this time.

"Look at that, the tunic boy does talk!"

"What do you think we are, idiots?" Zelda joins in. "Well, they say birds of a feather flock together. I guess you three runts are all of the same level."

_Wow, Zelda knows how to insult people,_ I think.

"Runts? Who are you callin' runts?"

"You. Get out of the way before you get hurt," Zelda continues.

_But she may be pushing it a little too far. . ._

"Zelda, just ignore them, they'll get the message and leave soon," I sigh. "It takes a while for their brains to transfer the simplest things."

_Great, now I'm doing it too._

"You're asking for it, tunic boy!" the leader yells in anger.

"Yeah, you're asking for a fight!" the second member joins in, pretty much repeating the same thing the leader just said.

"Well, hurry it up, you're talking too much," Zelda snickers. "Fight or not? We're waiting on you."

"That does it! Boys, get them!" the leader orders. The two scrawniest boys of the group, the black-haired and white-haired ones, charge at us, but they barely look like they know what they're doing. I sigh, and before the white-haired boy can get too close, I spin the swing so that I spin towards him, extending my leg and kicking right in the face with the heel of my foot. He lands on the ground, his mouth bleeding, but he manages to get back up. He runs back at me again, and I flip the swing, kicking him in the jaw and sending him flying upwards as I flip over and land on my feet, the swing landing behind me. The kid is out cold.

I'm more worried about Zelda though. The silver-haired one was a pencil, how would she deal with the black-haired one, the second-strongest of the group?

According to what I'm seeing, she's doing just fine.

The boy is already knocked out, laying on his back at her feet. She has this innocent look on her face, like she hadn't done anything and he had just passed out on his own. Unfortunately, I had no idea what had happened because I was too busy fighting the pencil kid, so I hadn't seen any of the action.

"Ugh, dammit man!" the leader cries. "You two are screwed!"

"Aw, what happened to all that tough talk from earlier?" Zelda taunts, sticking her tongue at him and winking, almost as if she's making a victory pose.

"That's impossible!"

"Link, what do you say we do with him?" Zelda asks me. "I don't like him, I think he deserves to be punished."

"Huh? Um. . ." I stammer. I'm really not the type for taking revenge out on people. "He can go, he's no use fighting," I decide.

Zelda frowns. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, there's no use wasting time fighting no-good trash like him," I sigh.

The leader scowls at me, and then turns and flees, leaving behind his friends.

"What do you think we should do with these two?" I ask Zelda, looking down at the pencil kid and the black-haired boy. "We can't just leave them here."

"Oh, I can take care of that later," she says.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Don't worry about it. We should get out of here before that guy gets more of his friends."

"Uh, y-yeah."

Had she really taken that kid out all by herself? I knew she had been training secretly, but I didn't think she was _that_ strong. Have I just underestimated her again, or was this another one of her secrets? I can't help but stare at her, trying to figure her out as we leave behind the two boys. When I turn to look back at the two kids again though, they're gone.

"Huh?" I stammer nervously. "W-Where did they go?"

"I took care of them," Zelda says in a very low voice. I widen my eyes at her, wondering what in the world she could be talking about. I open my mouth to speak, but my words are soon drowned out by the loud gossiping chatter of the city as we step back into the town square. Zelda looks around, as if looking for something, and then she looks at me.

"Sorry, I gotta go grab something. I'll be back in a second, okay?" Zelda tells me.

"What is it?" I ask suspiciously. I don't really want to leave her on her own after all that's happened today.

"Oh, just an errand I've been putting off, something that I need to get for the castle," she answers. "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine."

Hm, she had known I was worried about her. Of course, it can clearly be seen in my worried expression.

"Just don't get into any trouble," I warn.

"I'm just going to run an errand! What trouble could I possibly run into?"

**A Short Interlude**

Zelda walks away from Link, a hidden smirk growing on her face. She pulls out a pocketwatch, looking at the two hands pointing at the roman numerals. She looks up from the clock, turning slightly to look at Link, who's distracted by the countless amount of people shoving past him to get by. She smiles to herself again, and takes a right, becoming hidden amongst the shadows of the alleyways. She closes the pocketwatch and puts it into her coat pocket.

"Tick tock, Zelda, you're late," a mysterious yet familiar voice snickers from above. Zelda looks up to see the short black-haired boy sitting on the roof of an alley building, his legs hanging off the edge.

"I didn't expect the mission to take this long," Zelda sighs. "Link can be quite a hassle. . ."

"Well, annoying tunic boy aside, have you completed the mission?"

"Yes. The group of three boys that have been harassing nearby citizens have been stopped. Mikoshi saw to it that their bodies wouldn't be found. However. . . the leader got away. But something tells me he won't be causing anymore trouble. If he does start causing trouble again, I'll see to it that he joins his two friends."

"Good," the boy mutters. "Then we shouldn't have any more troubles in District One for the next little while. You did good."

"Thank you. But what should I do now? Keep hanging around with Link? Because to tell you the truth, he really doesn't know how to talk with women. He's seriously starting to bore me."

"Heh, I understand how bored you must be. Just hang in there a little longer. Mikoshi will meet up with you in about an hour or so. Just continue your 'scouting' until then, Miss Time Keeper."

Zelda sighs, holding her forehead in annoyance as she looks to the ground. When she looks back up at the building, the boy is gone.

"Always leaving without saying goodbye. . ." Zelda sighs, snickering under her breath. "Oh well, you're too busy to be bothered, I guess. Why should I care?"

She looks up at the building one last time before leaving the alleyway to rejoin Link.

**Chapter 7 (continued)**

Zelda finally comes back from a completely different direction, greeting me with a wave and a strange smile.

"What was it that you had to do?" I ask again.

"An errand, Link, I told you a million times!" Zelda exclaims. "It was something that I had to do _today_!"

I don't respond. I still don't believe her. There is definitely something up with her. If only I knew what it was!

Zelda and I continue our scouting mission for the next hour, mostly without speaking and just watching the people go by. Of course, there wasn't much to watch considering they were there one second and gone the next. They just didn't seem to want to enjoy their time here. . . however, being the guy I am, taught by the Reapers, I've learned a lot of depressing things. Uzuki, the most depressing of us all, and probably one of the Reapers I look up to the most, once told me that she never got to enjoy life very much before she died. Things went too fast for her, and before she knew it, she was dead. But Uzuki told me that before she had died, she had started looking at the world in a whole different view, and dying only made that view a lot more accurate, stronger to be more precise. Before she died, Uzuki started to realize that the world wasn't really what it appeared to be, that human beings were cursed beings that weren't grateful for their right to live. She said that every human in the world is born for a reason, and that nobody is born for the sole purpose of dying; but she also believed that human beings should realize the sins of the world and that they will eventually die. As Uzuki had also stated, humans seem to live their lives without thinking twice about death. They see other people die, and they take it for granted, but before they know it, they're dead. Uzuki had always thought about death when she was alive, and she wasn't scared to face it. She didn't think it was something that wouldn't happen until she was old and frail. She knew that she would probably die before she got old, or at least, she had the same chances of dying each day, and that she faced death each day, sometimes knowing it, sometimes not. But regardless of knowing she would die, she still doesn't know exactly _how_ she died. That still remains a mystery to us all. So you can bet I hate secrets. And I just dislike human beings for being so dense and clueless about how precious human life is.

After a while, Zelda and I get bored, and we end up going to the shooting gallery to pass the time. We pay twenty rupees each, Zelda allowing me to go first. I take the bow that's provided, along with the arrows, and I ready the arrow as the large rupees start to appear behind the shooting line. I fire multiple arrows at once, and it doesn't take me long to shoot each one of them down. I look at Zelda, who apparently hadn't been watching. She was too busy chatting it up with the guy behind the counter! So apparently that fatass is more fun to talk to then to play a simple time-passing game!

When I fire the last rupee, the man congratulates me, and hands me fifty rupees as a prize. I hate that prize, you pay twenty rupees just to win fifty. I only got an extra thirty rupees. How cheap.

Zelda walks up to the platform, taking the bow and arrows from me, and she signals the man to start the game. The rupees start to move across the floor, and she manages to fire each one of them down in less than a minute. She walks to the man for her prize, and he hands her a purple rupee, the exact same prize I had gotten.

"Impressive," the man behind the counter compliments. "Gotta say, not many people around here with skills like yours."

I don't know if he's talking about me or Zelda.

"You two come back again, you hear?" the man chuckles. "It's no fun when I gotta watch big-shot amateurs fail miserably at this game. I like it when an expert comes in every once in a while. You two have a good day now!"

"Uh, thanks," I say as I open the door, allowing Zelda to leave first before I follow. We walk back into the square to continue our scouting mission.

"Hm. . ." I grumble. I want to ask her where she learned to shoot like that.

"Stop being so suspicious, would you?"

"I have every right to be suspicious."

"Of course you do," she snickers. "And it's a good thing too."

"See, that's exactly why I'm suspicious!" I yell, hoping that I don't accidentally cause a scene. Of course, I highly doubt that will happen either considering the volume of the chatter around us. "It's like you're telling me all your secrets without me knowing! And it's seriously scaring me how you're always being so secretive all the time! Just what are you hiding? You have to tell me!"

"Don't get so upset, I just have things that I keep a secret, that's all. Everyone has a few secrets. Mine are simply of no importance."

I draw my mouth into a tight line, getting angrier with her by the second. "It's not good keeping secrets. I know that from years of experience being stuck with the always secretive Reapers."

"My secrets aren't as dangerous as theirs."

"And how do I know that?" I grab her shoulders, looking deep into her eyes. "Zelda, whatever this is, you need to tell me. I really hate secrets; I hate it when people keep secrets from me, because the truth always ends up biting me in the ass later on. Please, just tell me."

She opens her mouth to speak, but no words come out before somebody interrupts us.

"Excuse me, sorry to interrupt," the mysterious voice cuts in.

Zelda and I look at the tall black-haired man with the black jacket and the strange hat.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything personal," he says in a rather formal tone.

I release my grip on Zelda's shoulders, and we both turn to look at him as if nothing had happened.

"Who are you?" I ask.

"My apologies, my name is Mikoshi Kasahara," he says, bowing.

"You. . .! You're Uzuki's older brother! You're an Assassin aren't you?" I immediately get angry, my expression becoming hostile.

"Yes, I admit that I am an Assassin. However, I am not hear to fight you, so you don't have to pull out your weapons."  
"What do you want?"

"I have a message for you two. Do you accept the message?"

"Hm. . ."

"Link, let's hear him out," Zelda suggests. "It may be something important."

I bite my lip, considering his offer, and then I sigh, nodding at his request.

"Thank you," he says. "I am actually not supposed to be here at this time, especially when I'm in contact with two Time Keepers, so I shall make this quite brief. As you know, the Assassins have declared a battle with you. This means that our leader, Mimitra Takumi, and more so our co-leader, Makoto Takahashi, want to challenge you, to find out who is the better organization. However, because I know we're currently winning, and I like to make things fair, I shall give you Time Keepers a chance to raise the stakes a little; put you on top a little more. Do you know of the Angels of Kalasia?"

I gasp, the old faces of Emily, Samuel, Matsuda and Kurenai Kai coming into my head, followed by the faces of the Osmont family.

"Wait, the Kalasians are Angels?" I ask, confused.

"Yes. Hylians, Zora, Gerudo, Deku, Goron, Kokiri, Goddess, Reaper, Oocca, Deity, Sage, Twili, Interloper, Skull Children, Demon, Angel, Fallen Angel, and finally the humans. . . there are a lot more races than you would imagine, Link. The Kalasians – or better yet – the Kais, are a family of long-lived Angels; you could consider them the 'Royal Family' of the Angels. And rivaling them are the Takumis, the Fallen Angels, a group of Angels that had judgement passed upon them and their wings cursed with darkness. As a result of their feud, the land of the Takumis, where the Fallen Angels reign, was recently destroyed by an unknown force, but the Fallen Angels are causing a riot, claiming that it was the Angels that destroyed their precious homes."

"What does this have to do with me?" I ask, getting impatient with his constant rambling. I'm also a little pissed that I didn't already know this. I read lots of history books; so why hadn't I figured it out sooner that the Kai's and the Kalasians were Angels?

"It has a lot to do with you, Link. Because of the Fallen Angels' growing suspicion, the Kalasians are now in distress. Who knows what could be happening to them at this very moment. . . I expect the King, Samuel, to be impaled, hung, drowned, or stabbed by now."

I grit my teeth in anger, wondering how in the world this man can talk about such horrible things without even batting an eye.

"You know the Kalasians, don't you Link? Is there someone there you want to protect?" Mikoshi asks me, almost as if to tease me. "It's all up to you of course. I'm just an Assassin, so I don't make any bit of difference to your decision. Just know that the Kalasians are in trouble – deep trouble that may cease their existence forever – and that their kingdom may be getting destroyed at this very moment from the same thing that destroyed the Fallen Angels' home." He turns around, and starts to walk away, before looking back at me. "Just food for thought." Then he leaves, heading in the direction of Hyrule Field. That guy reminds me too much of the Masked Salesman.

"What an arrogant. . ." Zelda begins, but then stops before she can insult him any further with words she dare wouldn't say. "People like him disgust me. . . Link?" She looks at me. "Link? Are you okay?"

_Why can't I stop trembling?_ I think. _Why am I believing the Assassin's words? _

"I-I have to go. . ." I stammer. "The Kalasians need my help. . ."

"Hold on just a second, Link," Zelda says, grabbing my arm to stop me. "Shouldn't we think of a plan?"

"There's no 'we' in this, it's just me! I need to help Samuel and Emily and their family!"

"Link, I'm not letting you go alone!"

"Since when do you care about what I do?"

"Link. . . I'm not that heartless. . . please, I want to help you."

I sigh, and remove my arm from her grip. "So be it, I don't care what you do. As for a plan. . ."

"Let's go to a nearby empty cafe so we can sort out our plan first."

"Alright. . ."


	8. Back in Termina Again

Hey everyone,

Well, the chapters are getting back to their lengthy-ness, which is good, I guess. But then again, a part of its lengthy-ness comes from the monster A/N at the end (which I really want all of you to read, please and thank-you). Chapters 9 and 10 will hopefully be just as long. As for the chapters following 9 and 10, it will be the beginning of a new arc. I feel that this new arc somewhat feels. . . wrong (?) for the Time Gate series. But a lot of things are revealed, and it's the only way that I can reveal these things. Also, you can all have a good laugh while reading through it. Enjoy, and R&R!

P.S. I also have put up a few new drawings on RatemyDrawings of Time Gate, and I am working on a very big Time Gate drawing as you read this. Hopefully it will be up soon :D You can find the link to my RatemyDrawings page on my profile, or you can search up Linkreaper1987 at RMD or on Google :D

-Uzuki Cheverie

Cultivate your hunger before you idealize

Motivate your anger to make them all realize

Climbing the mountain, never coming down

Break into the contents, never falling down

My knee is still shaking, like I was twelve

Sneaking out the classroom, by the back door

A man railed at me twice though, but I didn't care

Waiting is wasting for people like me

**- **Akeboshi, _Wind_

**Time Gate: The Adult Chapters**

**Chapter 8: Back in Termina Again**

After talking over the situation for a while, Zelda and I finally come up with a plan.

The first part of the plan was a little tricky to figure out. I mean, we're doing this mission completely on our own, without telling the Reapers, and we have to get to Kalasia as quick as possible. So what's the fastest method of transportation at this point?

The Hyrule train tracks.

Yep, that's right, Hyrule has a railway line. And trust me when I say, that train can go _fast_. It could probably get us to Termina in a few hours, probably in the same day.

Zelda seems fine with that idea, but I'm unsure about taking her along. Would it count as kidnapping, or abducting, or what? I can't just take the Princess of the Royal Family with me to a neighboring land. That would just bring up all sorts of penalties, one probably being executable death. Maybe get my head chopped off or something. But Zelda seems fine with the whole idea of coming along, and she says that no one will even notice she's gone. Although, I think she's just fine with the whole idea of her seeing me getting my head chopped off right at the neck. I'm sure she'd be amused by that sort of trickery.

So, Zelda can come along on the train ride. I'm just hoping we can get to a train station fast enough. Luckily there's a train station right in the city, on the eastern side.

After we're finished talking over our plan, Zelda and I leave the completely empty cafe, and we head for the eastern side of Hyrule, where the trains are boarding for various regions such as the Gerudo Desert, Lake Hylia, and even closer places like Kakariko. And the last train on the list is boarding for Termina. Zelda and I buy tickets, each one about one hundred rupees, and we jump on the train, one of the only ones there besides a few kids who look about Uzuki and Mitsuhiro's age.

"I've never actually been on the train line before," Zelda says.

"Neither have I," I admit. We sit down at a chair across from three other boys. One has medium-length black hair that parts both ways in the front, just barely missing his eyes, and the other has short brown blond-streaked hair. The only quality that makes them look alike are their big builds. They're about Mitsuhiro's height, but they seem to have a lot of weight to them as well. Then there's a third boy with short dark brown-black hair, but he's completely different from the two other boys because of his thinner build (when I say thin, I mean to say 'scrawny'). However, he still has muscles, and he has these awesome looking tattoos running down both shoulders. He's also quite tan.

The big guy with the long black hair looks like the kind of guy I wouldn't want to cross. His skin is pretty white, like a sheet, and he's so big I would be afraid to fight him. You could consider him a bigger version of Mitsuhiro, with the looks of a shorter temper.

Same goes for the other big guy, although frankly, he looks more like the kind of guy you'd want to hug just for the sake of him acting like a giant pillow. In other words, 'squishy'. Say it's insulting, oh well.

"Hm, I know those four," Zelda mumbles only loud enough for the two of us to hear. "I've seen them around Hyrule. . . what are their names again. . .?"

"Well, you tell me, Miss Princess Zelda," I chuckle as I stare up at the ceiling of the train car. The four boys have already started their own conversation. We wait for about ten minutes before train is filled with more people, although the car still seems a little empty. Then again, I could imagine more people traveling someplace else besides the rumored cursed land of Termina.

"Shut up Takuma!" one of the boys yells. "Good Din, I bet the entire east side of Hyrule can hear you!"

"Sorry. . ." the thinner boy mutters.

"They sure are loud. . . " I mutter to myself.

"Just ignore them then," Zelda snaps in a unpleasant tone.

"What's wrong with you?" I ask, annoyed by her sudden change in attitude.

"Nothing. I'm just saying you should ignore them."

"Eh. . . suit yourself. . ."

We sit there waiting, completely silent as we wait for the train to start its route. It only takes ten minutes for the conductor to take his post at the front of the train and start, the large train bumping along the tracks until it comes to a steady speed. It's completely silent inside the train, except for the sound of the wheels rolling along the tracks and the odd laugh that would come from the group of boys every so often. Zelda stares out the window, not paying any attention to my presence. Does she really detest me that much? Because that really doesn't feel good on the inside. . .

"Zelda, are you mad at me?" I ask her.

She looks at me, with a smile.

"No, of course not!" she chuckles. "Sure, I only slapped you in the face the first time I saw you, and I try my hardest to distance myself from you, but we're still friends. . ."  
"Stop being sarcastic and get serious," I grumble angrily. "You've been mad at me ever since that first day. Is it all just because I didn't talk to you for these past five years? Or is something else bothering you?"

"Nothing worth speaking of," Zelda sighs. "Besides, I felt I had to get payback for you ditching me for the past five years."

"Why are you talking like that?" I ask, raising my eyebrow at her.

"Like what?"

"Like some sort of. . . high school student. . .?" High school student is the best word I can describe her with this time around. She's talking with words that are commonly used among high school students, like she wasn't raised formally, prim and proper like princesses should. She's definitely gotten herself into the wrong crowd, I can tell.

"I'm just saying the words I want to say, that's all," she snickers.

"Well, you certainly have a different attitude from the time I met you as the Hero of Time."

"A lot can happen in five short years."

"So? That shouldn't change you much from what you were like that time when we stopped Ganon."

"Drop it. Please, just drop it. I don't want to talk about it."

"Zelda, I just want to know-"

"Just _drop it_." She glares at me, with a ice-cold glare that could freeze even the Goddesses themselves. Now I know she's downright _serious_.

_You'd better not mess with her any further dude,_ Dex says to me. I had completely forgotten he was here, in my head. He's been so quiet lately. . .

_Tell me about it,_ I reply.

"Zelda. . ." I mutter.

"What do you want?" she snaps at me, turning to glare at me again.

I swallow before asking my question. I have to be careful with the words I say. "That Mikoshi guy. . . are you sure we can trust him? I mean, he's an Assassin after all. . ."

"Mikoshi may be an Assassin," Zelda begins,"but he is also a well-known man in Hyrule Castle Town. He's best known for his knowledge of the Goddesses and the history of Hyrule. Why he'd join the Assassins when he's known for good intentions, I don't know, but the words that come from his mouth are usually almost one hundred percent true. He is an easy person to trust, and he rarely ever tells lies."

"Rarely tells lies, huh? Well, we'll have to see about that when we get to Kalasia, won't we?" I challenge.

"An easy man to trust," Zelda repeats before looking out the window again, watching the trees and flatlands fly by. But how would she know that Mikoshi is an easy person to trust? Has she trusted him before in the past, or are these facts all just based on the stories? There has to be some reason why she'd trust him enough to come with me all the way to Kalasia just to see if he's telling the truth or not about its distress. . .

"So how do you know Mikoshi?" I ask.

She doesn't respond.

"Zelda?"

She looks at me with a glare. "Link, how many more questions do you have? I kind of want to ignore awkward conversations right now. Especially awkward conversations with _you_."

"It's just a question. Do you know the guy or do you just know him by rumors?"

". . . He came to the castle one time with a lecture for me about the Goddesses, when I was younger of course. Although it was stuff I had heard a lot in the past from my teacher, some of the things he said were quite interesting."

"Like. . .?"

"Like. . ." She smirks at me. ". . . Don't let your eyes deceive you. Even creatures as lovely as the Goddesses themselves had dark sides."

I stare at her, before she breaks the gaze by looking out the window again. She sure seems to have a lot of interest in what's going outside. . . or maybe she just has less interest in my face and my questions.

I suddenly hear a loud burst of laughter from the boys across from us. Someone must have told a joke. I look at them, but they don't seem to notice my look of annoyance. They just continue to tell jokes and laugh away, like regular teenage boys. But are they really teenagers? They still seem to look quite a bit older, maybe even Uzuki and Yashiro's age; over twenty.

"I still have more questions," I say to Zelda. She doesn't even look my way.

"Keep em' to yourself," she hisses. "I have a headache. Let me think."

I sigh, looking down at my feet and the black floor of the train car. I keep staring at the floor, until I see a small ball roll into the back of my foot. I pick it up. It's small, no bigger than my palm, and it's soft, like it's filled with beans instead of air, and even the surface of it is made of sewn yarn.

"Hey, can you toss that over?"

I look over at the boys, the scrawny boy waving his hand at me. I roll my eyes and throw the ball at him, hoping to catch him off guard just for kicks. Much to my surprise though, he quickly reacts, snapping his hand up in a split second and grabbing the ball.

"Whoa, you've got fast reflexes. . . " I mutter to myself, although I don't even care that he can't hear.

"Thanks, dude!" he says happily as he begins to bounce the small ball between his hands, as amused as a kitten with a ball of yarn.

"Tch, kids. . ." I mutter to myself. Then again, they could be older than me. Besides, I'm sounding like an old man right now. I'm still eighteen for Goddesses' sakes.

I sit in silence for the rest of the train ride, not daring to ask another question to the questionably irritable Princess Zelda. I'm tired, but I don't want to fall asleep on the train either. I don't really want to have a conversation with Dex right now, and I definitely don't want to get involved with the strange conversation that those boys are having.

The train ride continues in a torturing silence, so long that I start to feel as if we'll never reach Termina in time. And the growing anxiousness and awkwardness from the silent Zelda makes it so much harder to wait. I end up fidgeting a lot, and I even start to listen in on the boys' conversation.

"Hey, did you hear about Len? Turns out she's got a singing career now!"

"Good for her!"

"Holy crap, there's a giant bird flying right by the window!"

"Takuma, shut up, use your inside voice!"

"This _is_ my inside voice!"

"Then don't say anything at all!"

And their conversation is completely meaningless to me. How could I expect anything interesting? Now I'm just eavesdropping.

"Hey, guess what happened the other day?"

"No one wants to know, Takuma."

"Gee, you two are both so nice."

"Hey, Saichi said it, not me."

So why am I still listening to them? This is just pointless. But I'm so _bored_.

"Hey, kids, could you three talk about something interesting? Something that might peak my interest?" I ask politely. Great, now I'm _talking_ to them. Zelda's looking at me funny. She's noticed too.

"Pfft, he said kids," the tan tattooed one snickers. "Dude, I'm twenty-two."

"Same here!" the other two say at the same time.

"O-Oh, sorry," I stammer. "I'm just bored, that's all."

"Heh, join the party, dude," the big black-haired guy laughs. "We're so bored we just jumped on this train for fun. We really have no idea what we're going to do once we reach Termina."

"I heard that place was cursed! This is gonna be fun!" the other big guy cheers. "Maybe we'll run into the fairy tree man while we're there!"

"Um, I don't know what you mean by 'fairy tree man', but quite a while back, there was this giant, grotesque moon that was being pulled towards Clock Town by an evil relic. The moon is gone now though," I explain.

They all look disappointed now.

"Aw man, that sucks," the tan boy sighs. "I was hoping to have some fun figuring out the stuff about this curse. . ."

"I was hoping it was the fairy tree man," the big brown-haired boy groans. "That guy just refuses to pop up anywhere near _me_!"

"Why would you want him to find you? You'd get abducted! And then she would kill you!"

"Takuma!" the boy yells. "Please don't bring that up!"

"'She'? What do you mean, 'she'?" I ask curiously.

"'She' is a childhood friend who died years ago," the brown-haired boy growls, giving the tan boy an angry look. "And I thought I said earlier not to bring her up again!"

"S-Sorry," the tan boy stammers.

"Screw the depressing conversation. You're bored, right?" the brown-haired boy asks me. "Got a name?"

"Uh, Link Nohansen Hyrule," I reply.

"Whoa, a Nohansen Hyrule! That means you're royalty, right? Nice to meet you. I'm Saichi Durami." He gives me a wave.

"Eh, you could say I'm royalty, but I don't really want to work out all the tricky family chains right now," I chuckle, scratching my head. I look over at Zelda for a brief moment, wondering what it would be like if she was my cousin, or even my _sister_. I shudder at the thought before looking back. I'm sure Zelda is rolling her eyes at me by now.

"Who's the girl next to you?"

I look at Zelda, and then she looks past me and at the boys.

"Zelda," she says.

Wow, she actually said her real name. That was something I definitely wasn't expecting. I was expecting her to be a little more. . . I don't know, secretive?

"Wow, same name as the Princess Zelda," Saichi says. "But obviously, you're not her. I mean, why would Princess Zelda, ruler of Hyrule, be traveling all the way out to a foreign country like Termina?"

"Hey, I'd like to introduce myself!" the tan boy yells, cutting in on the conversation. "I'm Takuma Eiji!"

"And I'm Mikumi Jishiru!" the big black-haired boy joins in.

"Pleased to meet you all," I mutter. I look back at Zelda, who's resumed her position to looking out the window.

My conversation with the three boys continues for the next hour. We end up talking about our occupations, family bloodlines, and even every day things like our hobbies and interests; just small talk. The three boys, although two of them being so big I'd be afraid to make them mad, are all really funny, and almost every sentence that comes out of their mouth makes me laugh out loud. Zelda never joins in on our conversation though; she just occassionally looks at us, as if she's listening in on what we're saying. And sometimes I can even see a small grin grow on her face whenever one of us says something funny.

But eventually, the train ride comes to a stop, and we all get up to step onto the station platform. The train is parked right outside the walls of Clock Town. I realize that this is the first time I've been here since I first left Byrne behind; it's almost a tear-jerking moment, really. The place hasn't changed a bit either. The sun still shines bright from above the canyons to the east, its rays reflecting off the ocean to the west. And thankfully, there seems to be no evil magic binding any sort of disaster to this place.

"Well, this is where we part ways," Saichi says. "It was a pleasure getting to know you, Link."

"You're not headed for Clock Town?" I ask curiously.

"No, I'm going to check out the swamp forest first," he says. "Then I'm headed off to Ikana Canyon."

"Why those two particular places?"

"If you must know, I'm a paranormal researcher on the side of my regular job, and my passion is studying the existence of the 'fairy tree man'."

"Oh right, you mentioned something like that earlier. What is that exactly?"

"It's a sort of demon that chases after children, sometimes even young adults, and grabs them with its long bony appendages, taking the victims into its own dimension," he explains. "Although, no one really knows if it's really real or not. The fairy tree man looks like a bald faceless man, wearing a tuxedo. You haven't perhaps seen it before, have you?"

The first thing I think of is the Kyodai no Akuma, but it's not bald and faceless. And there's no _way_ those two things can be the same.

"I've seen things similar to it, but I don't think it's what you're looking for," I say.

"If you see anything, tell me next time we see each other, okay? Keep an eye out in forests especially, or cursed areas like Ikana. And if you do happen to see him, take a picture, okay? Just don't get caught." Then he laughs.

"Um, sure. But what about you two?" I point to Mikumi and Takuma.

"Well, I'm probably going to tag along with Saichi. I'm not as obsessed with this fairy tree man as he is, but I'm still looking for a good paranormal investigation," Mikumi chuckles.

"I think I'm going to head for Zora's Hall. I've been wanting to get a close up look with the Indigo-Go's for some time now," Takuma answers. "I can swim pretty well, so it shouldn't be that hard to get inside the hall."

"What about you?" Saichi asks me. "Why did you come all the way out here?"

"I, uh, have to meet up with someone for a very important matter," I reply, immediately thinking of Byrne even though that's the complete opposite as to why Zelda and I are here.

"I see. Well, I hope we meet again sometime," Saichi says. "Until then, I wish you a long and happy life." He then bows, standing back up with a wide smile on his face. He turns around, waving as he walks away with Mikumi towards the swamp in the south. Takuma waves at us as he turns and runs west, towards the sparkling ocean where Zora's Hall sits under the water.

"They were fun little diversions, weren't they?" Zelda snickers as she looks up at the walls of Clock Town. "Let's hurry, we don't have much time."

"We should come up with another plan first, though," I suggest. "What do you say we grab something to eat before heading out? Besides, I need a map. I have no idea where Kalasia is from here; at least, I don't remember."

Zelda scowls at me. "Fine, whatever you think is better." She walks ahead of me towards the entrance of the town, leaving me behind to catch up.

When we're inside the town, I'm not surprised to see people running around like mad chickens. This place is always busy, just like the market. Zelda seems a little more surprised though.

"Wow, I figured a hick town like this wouldn't have this many people," she mumbles.

"Excuse me? Did you just say 'hick town'?" I growl. "Believe it or not, this place holds a lot of memories for me! And it's a lot more populated than you think. Termina is the second largest kingdom, you know!"

"And yet it doesn't have any form of government like Hyrule does," she argues. "I'd like to call it more or less a country than a kingdom."

"Say what you will, this place is pretty much my home. Don't insult it."

She smirks at me, and then walks ahead to where her eyes spot the nearest cafe. I follow behind her, trying to keep my anger down as I sit down with her at a small table.

"So this is where you've been for the past five years?" she asks me.

"No, I've been hanging around in the Dark Realm and in Hyrule for the past five years," I explain. "_This_ town is where I stayed after I left Hyrule for the first time back after we defeated Ganondorf. Then I came back, found you again when you gave me the Ocarina of Time, lived here for a while, met the Reapers. . . and now we're here again. I haven't been to this place in the past five years, not once."

"Such memories," she mutters, but I can't help but feel she's being sarcastic.

A waitress comes by. "Can I get you anything?"

"No, thank you," I mutter. "We'll order later." The waitress nods, and then leaves for the next table.

"I thought you said you were hungry," Zelda mutters.

"The plan comes first; besides, I just used my hunger as an excuse to walk inside this town again."

"You are such a baby," Zelda sighs.

I ignore her insult, and I start to look around the town, watching the all-too familiar people walk by. The Bombers must be teenagers now, which kinda brings me down because I won't be able to see them goof off and try to help people anymore. The tower that's parallel to the Clock Tower is still up, and it's looking better than it ever looked from the time when we first finished it years ago. Even this café is looking much better than it used to. And it seems like the population and traditions have grown too; even considering that the Bombers are teenagers now, I already see a group of children wearing similar clothes and taking on the responsibilities of the old Bombers. They're even waving sticks around like swords like the original group did.

"We have to come up with a plan, Link," Zelda reminds me. "Like Mikoshi said, their kingdom could be devastated by now. We have no time to waste."

"R-Right," I stammer, bringing myself into reality again. "Um. . . well, first of all, I need to get my hands on a map. I think Tingle would have one. . ."

". . .Tingle? Who's Tingle?" Zelda asks me.

"Oh, uh, he's this guy who wants to be a fairy."

". . .That's creepy."

"Ha ha, well, he sells pretty good maps, so keep an eye out for him."

"What does he look like?"

"I really don't _want_ to give you a visual description. . . but trust me, you'll know him when you see him. He stands out like a sore thumb. Just look into the air and keep an eye out for anything. . . inconspicious."

"I don't really get it, but okay," she replies, and starts to look above. She must think I'm joking about something, but I am definitely not. I reach into the bag on my belt and pull out my slingshot. I haven't used this thing since I was a kid, and I can't believe I'm still carrying it around, but I feel the need to use a slingshot instead of a kunai or a shuriken. It's just more fun that way. Also, I don't want to accidentally miss with a shuriken or kunai and end up hurting Tingle. If I hit him with a pellet, it's still going to hurt, but getting hit with a pellet sure doesn't hurt as much as getting hit with a shuriken.

But he's probably not floating around here anyways. He's probably floating in North Clock Town or something.

"We'll get the map later," I tell Zelda. "First, we need to come up with a fighting strategy. There may be a few Reapers or Assassins at Kalasia, so we need to be prepared."

"What do you suggest we do then?" Zelda asks me.

"The problem is figuring out what the structure of Kalasia is right now. It could be in ruins, or it could be perfectly fine. Environment changes the course of strategy too. We may end up just hiding and ambushing."

"That works for me."

"And another thing: do you have any form of weapon on you? A sword maybe?"

Zelda reaches back and pulls out a sword from underneath her trenchcoat, pulling it out behind her head.

"I always have a sword on me," she answers, grinning as she looks at the beautifully hand-crafted sword.

"You carry a hidden sheath underneath your trenchcoat?" I ask curiously.

"It makes the enemy believe that you're unarmed."

"That's smart," I reply, but I can't help but think of Zero. She had a sword hidden underneath her tunic as well. But I can't possibly start thinking that Zelda and Zero are the same person; there's just no way it's possible.

"Okay, so you have a weapon," I begin again. "That's good. Now we have to start thinking of how to-" I lose my breath when I see the person behind Zelda; he's not looking at us though, which I find is a good thing.

"Link? What is it?" Zelda asks, turning to see what I'm looking at.

"Byrne." The word escapes from my mouth as a whisper, as I stare at the large black-haired man that seems to be headed straight for the café. . . towards _us_.

"We have to leave," I snap. "_Now_." I practically jump up from my chair.

"But wait, wasn't Byrne a friend of yours?" Zelda asks.

"That's why we have to leave." I grab Zelda's arm and pull her from her own chair, dragging her in the opposite direction, to the north side of Castle Town.

"W-Wait, Link!" Zelda stammers, but I don't let go of her arm as I drag her past the Clock Tower and through the gate that leads to the North Gate of Clock Town. When we're at the North Gate, Zelda finally forces her arm from my hand, and then slaps me in the face.

"How dare you!" she hisses angrily at me as I try to regain my posture. "Do that again, and it'll be worse than a slap in the face, I guarantee you that!"

"S-Sorry," I stammer, still surprised by the slap that I got. I didn't think she was cruel enough to do it a second time. I hear a chuckle from above me. I look up, a little pissed off that someone's laughing at my pain, but then I completely understand when I see that it's Tingle who's chuckling, floating above us, attached to his big red balloon.

"You could have a little sympathy for me, you know!" I yell up at him.

"So sorry, Mr. Fairy, but I couldn't help but let out a little bit of a laugh when I saw the actions of your lady-friend," he apologizes. "You two seem wonderful together, hmhm. . ."

"L-Lady friend? Uh, no, she's just a teammate of mine," I stammer. "She's really not a lady friend or anything like that. . ."

Tingle chuckles again, his wide grin growing across his small rosy-cheeked face.

"Oh-ho, no need to hide your emotions, Mr. Fairy! I can already see you blushing!"

"W-What? That does it!" I rip out my slingshot from my back pocket and load the seed in less than a second, letting go of the elastic and letting the seed fire straight into the little jerk's balloon. He fumbles in the air, surprised at first, and then he manages to regain his composure and land on his feet. It's then that I realize how much I've actually grown. From this height, Tingle is like the size of a leprechaun. He was always short, but this is just _weird_. I could squish him with my foot if I wanted to!

"Wow, I never remember you being this. . . small," I admit as I kneel down. Even kneeling down, he's still extremely short. "Is it supposed to be humanly possible to be this short, or is it just you?"

"I am a fairy, Mr. Link! It's only natural for me to be this minuscule size!" he says happily.

"I should just squish you right now for making that crack earlier," I growl. "But I won't, because I need something from you."

"Ask away, Mr. Fairy! Anything you need!"

"I need a map. To Kalasia, if you have one."

"Oh yes, I think I have one right here!" He takes his clipboard and shifts through the multiple papers, finally stopping at one and pulling it out. He starts to hand it to me, but before I can get my hands on it, he yanks it away like a five-year-old, a wide cheeky grin on his face.

"Ah-ah-ah, anything you need within _monetary_ reasons!" he says. Dammit, I should have known.

"Aw man, can't you just let it slide this time? It's an emergency!" I sigh.

"Money makes the world go round, Mr. Fairy!"

I sigh again and grab my wallet from my back pocket. "Alright, how much?"

"One hundred rupees."

"One hundred? That's thievery! I'm not that paying that!"

"It's either the money or no map, Mr. Fairy. Sorry, but that's business!"

Zelda looks at me. "Just pay him the money, Link. It's worth the hundred rupees."

I lean in closer to Zelda so I can talk to her without Tingle hearing us. "Look, I've done this before, I'm just going to try and settle a deal with him instead. I'm not paying one hundred rupees for a piece of paper that I'm just going to end up giving to the man living in the Stock Pot Inn bathroom for toilet paper."

She gives me a strange look. Right, she didn't live in this town for three years; she doesn't know the lurking horrors of the Stock Pot Inn bathroom.

"Alright, you damn leprechaun, how about we make a better deal? I'll pay eighty," I offer.

"Ninety," he says.

"Eighty," I hiss again.

"Ninety or one hundred," he says again. "Don't make this harder than it needs to be, Mr. Fairy."

_Damn, he got better at that, _I think angrily.

"Alright then. . ." I mutter as I look through my wallet. "I'll pay you two purple rupees, subtract a blue one, add a yellow one, and then multiply it by a green one."

He thinks over my suddenly-improvised-offer and then finally smiles.

"That sounds quite reasonable! It's a deal!" he says, and hands me the map. I hand him the money. Fifty-four rupees. Of course, he doesn't notice because he never bothers to count the money he receives. He puts the money into his little wallet that's attached to his belt.

"Thank you for doing business with me, Mr. Fairy!" he says happily.

"And thank you for the map," I say back, trying not to laugh.

"Tingle-Tingle-Kooloo-Limpah!" Tingle shouts, spinning around in circles and throwing confetti in the air. He pulls a string on his backpack, and a new balloon inflates from inside, pulling him back up into the air.

I turn around, walking in the direction of the North Gate exit. Zelda walks by my side as I read the new map that I've acquired.

"Wait a minute. . . Link, that equations equals fifty-four rupees," she mutters. "How did you do that without him finding out?"

"Easy. Tingle may love money, but when it comes to math, he's got the brain of a toddler," I explain, letting out the laugh I had wanted to earlier. "It was just a matter of confusing him with a math problem that was too big for him to comprehend. And when I put in the word 'multiply', I guess he just figured that the number would become bigger with that. I multiplied by one. What a dumbass."

"That's pretty impressive," she says. "I didn't know you had learned stuff like that. . . no offense, I mean, you grew up in the forest and everything, so I figured you didn't get as much of an education as most people."

"None taken," I chuckle. "It's thanks to Uzuki and Yashiro that I learned that. They taught me basic math skills; they said that I had to learn something other than fighting – something that stimulated my brain, not my fists." I laugh, remembering back to the countless hours that Uzuki and Yashiro had forced me to use studying on math and history instead of throwing kunais and shurikens and swinging a sword. Of course, Yashiro had been wanting to go out and spar a little too, but it was Uzuki who kept us both in check of the time we could use doing that.

Zelda smiles at me.

_Whoa, dude, she just smiled at you! _Dex exclaims, completely appalled.

_Y-Yeah, I noticed!_ I say back._ You don't think she's finally starting to like me again, do you? _

_Who knows? Check her aura, would you? _

I close my eyes slightly, just enough so I can get myself focused on my aura reading, but not too much so I can still see where I'm going. When I open my eyes and I've switched my gaze, I can see her aura. It looks just like it should. But something's a little off. It's pink, which doesn't surprise me one bit for Zelda. But I can see little bits of twilight floating around it, like small bits of paper floating in the breeze, or in this case, around the aura. Zelda suddenly snaps her neck towards me, glaring straight at me. The twilight bits suddenly disappear from around her aura, making it just a normal pink color again.

I blink, and then look away, switching my gaze back to normal. How did she make the twilight go away? Did she know that I was reading her aura?

I ignore it for now, assuming that I just saw her aura wrong. I'm not the best aura reader anyways; I should leave that stuff to Uzuki.

When we make it outside, I realize that we're on the side of Snowhead mountain. I'm still smart enough to remember that Kalasia was in the direction of the swamp; I should have gone the other way when running from Byrne! .

. . But I had to get the map from Tingle too, so I guess there was no other choice in the end. . .

"Come on, we're heading in the direction of the swamp, right?" Zelda interrupts my trance as she looks off in the other direction.

". . .Uh, y-yeah," I stammer, recollecting my thoughts. She runs off, leaving me behind to catch up to her, and we both head in the direction of the swamp.

But wait. . .

. . . how did she know that Kalasia was in the direction of the swamp. . .?

* * *

A Not-So-Short A/N: I have been doing constant research on The Legend of Zelda games at the Zelda Wikia page (which you can find by searching for it on Google). After going to the Dark World article, from The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, and reading on it, I have to point out how the Dark World and the Dark Realm are significantly the same and different. The Dark Realm and the Dark World can be considered the same thing, however there are some striking differences:

1. The Pyramid of Power has been replaced with the Society's Castle

2. The House (The Time Keepers home) is situated far to the south of the Society's Castle, in the Skeleton Woods. However, this map is flipped, and if you were to turn it back to its original position, then the House would be in the northwestern area of the Dark Realm. The map that I imagine has the House situated in the South.

3. The Twilight Realm, home of the Interlopers (or the Twili, as referred to in Twilight Princess), is to the west of the Society's Castle, assuming that the map is normal and that the House is in the South. If the map is flipped and the House is in the Northwestern area, then the Twilight Realm is estimated to be to the east of the Castle.

4. There are smaller areas of the Dark Realm that pop up in the story, such as the Meadow. The Meadow is considered one of the first meeting places of the Time Keepers when it was first created, just a short while after the Reapers were reborn. The Meadow is to the east of the Castle, but if you flip the map, then it's to the west. Therefore, the Meadow and the Twilight Realm are on opposite sides of each other.

5. The Dark Realm Mirror Sanctuary is to the northwestern area of the map, assuming that the House is in the south. It's not a long way away from the Society's Castle. If the map is flipped and the House is in the Northwest, then the Mirror Sanctuary is in the southeastern spot of the map.

This should just give you a general idea of where everything is located in the Dark Realm. I like to imagine the House being in the south, but if you have played Link to the Past and are more familiar with the Lost Woods (Skeleton Woods) being in the northwestern area of the map, then imagining the 'flipped' version of the map should be quite easy for you as well. As for the Dark World from LttP, I have never beaten that game. . . so if you people out there could give me some insight on what happened, I would be very glad to hear it! I don't imagine there will be a day when I manage to get my hands on that game and actually beat it (unless I get my hands on the Gameboy version and play it on my DS or something), so I don't mind the spoilers! I have no idea what happened to the Dark World after the game, so I would be glad to know what happened. Assuming that the Dark World is still there even after the game is beaten, in Time Gate, the Dark World from LttP will be in a much deeper location of Time Gate's Dark Realm. This means that the Society's Castle doesn't 'replace' the Pyramid of Power, but that it is parallel to it and that the Pyramid of Power is not in the map of the Dark Realm because it is too far away and off the main map. However, it still exists. But, if the Dark World was destroyed or no longer exists at the end of LttP, then the Dark Realm could be considered an Interloper world of OoT's Hyrule, or just simply the world of the Reapers.

Also, as for the train ride in this chapter, this is assuming that Clock Town is not an alternate dimension, as stated in the Majora's Mask manga and from many other sources. In Time Gate, you could assume that Termina is just another neighboring kingdom of Hyrule, and that it's people interact with other countries just as normally as a regular kingdom would. However, I realize that this has been challenged by the fact of the Termina 'dopplegangers': the characters from Ocarina of Time that have been repeated in Majora's Mask (ex. the Cucco-lady Anju from OoT is the Stock Pot Inn manager in MM, the young and older version of Malon from OoT are the sisters Romani and Cremia in MM, etc.). Because of this, the storyline of Time Gate is almost, how you put it, 'glitched'. I'm hoping to figure out a good solution to this so that people don't get confused (because frankly, it's confusing me too). So for now, I'm assuming that Termina/Clock Town is not an alternate dimension. If I figure out any solution to how it will work in Time Gate, I'll be sure to put it into an A/N. Until then, I'm going to keep researching and hope to find some sort of solution that will accept Termina as being both an 'alternate dimension' and a 'neighboring kingdom'.

Just another note, Saichi Durami, Mikumi Jishiru, and Takuma Eiji. . . well, you don't have to remember who these people are. Not specifically, at least. You may recognize them throughout the story however, and they play a bigger role in one of Time Gate's before-stories. So for now, I'm calling them my little 'Easter Eggs'. They'll make tiny little roles here and there in the story, so if you read about anyone like them, then they're just little tidbits to make the story a little humorous here and there. Or just to keep your attention. And also, I hope that their names ring a little bit of bell in your head when you read the before-story of Time Gate. There are more people too like them, but they don't make an appearance for another few chapters.

Also, if any one of you readers figure out a solution to this alternate dimension known as Termina and neighboring country also known as Termina, I will be more than happy to hear your theories. It's for the beneficial continuation of Time Gate, so please, help for the worthy cause! :D

- Uzuki Cheverie


	9. The Angels' Final Song

Hey guys,

This chapter took longer than I thought. It should have been up a long time ago, but I had to rewrite nearly the whole thing because I lost the original file on a computer that's now broken. It took me a while to re-motivate myself to write it again, but I finally got it done. Enjoy, R&R, etc.

Uzuki Cheverie

**Time Gate: The Adult Chapters**

**Chapter 9: The Angels' Final Song**

I feel. . . like fainting.

Maybe fainting would be the wise choice in this situation. Maybe it could help me escape from this nightmare that's taking place right before my eyes. The nightmare that, after pinching myself and biting my lip as hard as I can to the point of cutting it, I realize is real. Too real.

My heart begins to race from shock and despair, my legs trembling and letting go from beneath me as I fall to my knees on the ashen-covered ground, and then finally fall so far that I have to use my hands to support myself. The ground is hot and dry, the ashes dirtying my hands like soot from a dead fire in a wood stove. I'm trembling all over now, my arms and legs shaking, as if I was cold. But the temperature here is high, and rising. I reach up to my forehead to wipe away the forming sweat from the heat and the fear. I trace the sweat down to my cheek, and realize that I'm not only sweating, but crying too. The tears are falling from my eyes, and are evaporating as quickly as they formed from the intense heat of this place. This place, which used to be the land of the Angels, the kingdom of Kalasia.

It's nothing but ashen waste now.

Even the castle, which used to stand high and mighty like a guardian to the Angels, has been reduced to one single building that is still remarkably standing; the throne room. All the other rooms and hallways are either barely standing or are crumbled all the way into the ground.

I wanted to bring her here. I wanted to bring Zelda here some day. That's what I had promised myself; now not only had I failed to keep that promise, I had failed to protect the Angels as well. Even if the Kai's and Osmonts had only shown me hospitality for a little bit, I felt like I had made some sort of deep connection with them.

Like they were some sort of family to me.

But I had failed them. And now, all of them could be dead.

An idea suddenly sparks into my head. They could all be dead . . . but they could all be alive as well. The Angels have ways of predicting the future, of detecting danger in the air. They could have easily escaped. Maybe not all of them, but a few here and there. The King and Queen could be alive. Kurenai and Matsuda could be alive. The Osmonts could be alive. They could _all_ be alive.

Hope starts to well inside me like a growing fire, and the trembling in my arms and legs slowly starts to stop. I feel a gentle hand touch my back. I look up to see Zelda looking down at me, a look of sympathy and worry on her face.

"Link," she says, with the same straight but sympathetic look on her face. "I don't know how important the Angels were to you . . . but I know the pain of losing people that are important to you. . ." She lowers down onto her knees so that she's eye level with me. "I promise that I'll help you find them, even if they are. . ." She stops, her sympathetic look getting crossed over with a stern one. I can tell she doesn't want to say the word 'dead'.

"We just have to hope for the best," I mutter. The trembling completely stopped, I start to stand up again, Zelda's hand retreating from my back. "Zelda, I want you to help me find them. All of them; all of the Angels that survived this."

A smile tugs at Zelda's lips. "Okay, I'll help you." She takes the trenchcoat that's tied around her waist and lifts it up, sliding her arms into the sleeves and buttoning up the front. There's a hood at the back that I've never noticed before, and inside the hood is a dark-red scarf; it looks strangely similar to the scarves that the Time Keepers used to wear, way back when we had first started out.

Zelda takes the scarf and ties it around her face so that it's loosely hanging around the lower half of her face, including her mouth. Then she lifts the hood above her head, concealing almost all of the rest of her face.

The way she looks now, the first word that comes into my mind is 'thug'. She looks the part of someone that would maul people in an alleyway. A dark green trenchcoat with sleeves that go way over her hands, a hood pulled over her eyes, a scarf tied around her face, dark green pants that look like they're made for dirty work, and even heavy-duty boots with laces that criss-cross all the way from the roof of the shoe to the very top of the leg. When she lifts her hand to pull out the C.T. crystal I had given her, I see that she's also wearing sleek black gloves that look like they're meant to deal with fires like this. It's almost as if she knew about the fire this whole time; that she knew to dress like this. She can't possibly dress like this every day. You'd sweat like crazy, and you'd be arrested under suspicion of being a crook.

"Tell me what to do, Link, and I'll do it," she tells me, a serious look growing on her face.

"Go look for the Osmonts," I tell her immediately. "They should be down there somewhere." I point to the dome-like building that once stood so high and proud, now falling to rubble. Some of it is still standing though; enough to give me hope that they may still be alive.

"You got it," she obeys, turning around to head in the direction where I pointed.

"W-Wait, Zelda. . .!"

She turns to look at me. "What?"

Why did I hesitate?

"Just. . . be careful," I reply. "Call me on your crystal if you get stuck or need my help."

"Of course. Thank you." And then she turns around and starts walking again, deeper into the burning waste of the Kalasian Palace.

_Will she be alright on her own?_ I think. I can't help but worry about her; this is a really dangerous mission after all. Not only is this place nothing but flames, but the Society could also be here, or the Assassins; it was Mikoshi of the Assassins who told us about this in the first place, so it would make sense if they were putting us right into a trap.

_Don't worry about her, Link,_ Dex tells me. _She seems to have everything under control; you shouldn't underestimate her strength._

I sigh at Dex's words. If only I could actually _see_ Zelda's true strength. I know she's hiding something. The aura-reading skills that Uzuki taught me tells me that much. I hate it when people keep secrets from me - even though I have a share of secrets of my own - because it makes me feel like they can't trust me. They should all be able to trust me. I haven't let them down in the past before, right?

But right now, I have to focus on the task at hand. Finding the Kai's, the Osmonts, and any other Angels that could have possibly survived this tragedy.

Before I head into the burning flames, I take my goggles that are loosely tied around my neck and place them over my eyes. If I go blind from the smoke, I'm screwed. After buttoning up my jacket, I start to walk through the coal-like ground, some of the ashes that are still ignited making sizzling sounds from the step of my boots. The ground is hot and stings the soles of my feet, but I have to keep going. Based on the heat of the ground, I know that the fire hit recently.

Which means that the attacker - if there was one - is possibly still here.

I head towards the main building that's still standing, the building that I'm sure is the throne room. As I walk through this burning place, flashbacks of when I was first here reel through my mind; cherry blossom trees, beautiful white buildings, blinding sunshine, stone walkways, laughing children, and the appearance of little fairies floating from the sky to the ground, like autumn leaves. All that's left of it now is ugly black ash-covered buildings, dusty black dirt, black smoke-filled skies, and embers flickering through the sky, falling to the ground. It's been completely transformed from my vision of heaven to my vision of hell.

When I make it to the main entrance of the building, I catch a glimpse of two guards laying on the ground, a pool of blood underneath the both of them, bits of fire catching onto their clothes. I look at where their blood is flowing from, and see that there are deep cuts in the both of them, nearly cutting them both in two. I hold back my nausea, and pray for their salvation in my mind as I continue on. Someone or something definitely attacked this place and these people; the wounds on those soldiers tell it all.

When I'm inside, it takes me a second to process the image in front of me as the throne room. It's been completely morphed into a burning room, the thrones ignited into flames and the beautiful red curtains on the stained glass windows now red with fire. I take another step forward, when I hear a bang from behind me. I look back to see a brick that had fallen from above, in the same spot where I had just been standing. Thank the Goddess Din I had moved then, otherwise I would have been killed. I have to get out of here soon, before the whole building collapses on top of me.

I keep an eye on the ceiling as I walk closer to the thrones, which I now realize are empty. Where could the King and Queen be?

As I get closer to the throne, I start to hear a strange sound from behind me. It's a shuffling sound, like somebody scraping their feet against the ground. I lash out a kunai with one hand from my belt bag as I twist around, ready to attack whoever it is that's sneaking up from behind me. But there's no one there.

Then I hear my name being called.

I look down to see Emily Kai dragging her body across the floor towards me, blood spilling from her body and creating a trail behind her. Her left arm is missing, and the white dress that she used to wear is now painted red with her own blood, most of it that I'm assuming came from her missing arm.

"Emily!" I cry as I put my kunai back into its holster. I run to her aid, getting down on my toes so I can examine her wounds more closely. "Your Highness, what happened?" I ask in a panic.

"L-Link. . . it's you. . ." she says in a cracked, weak voice. "I knew you'd come here. . . you've. . . gotten so much older. . ."

"Emily, can you tell me what happened here?" I ask again.

"Take a look around. . . all of this was. . . I saw it. . . I knew this was going to happen, but I just. . . didn't know _when_. . . we couldn't protect ourselves, Link. . ."

"Protect yourselves from _what_?" I choke out, ignoring the tears that are now streaming down my face like waterfalls.

"Someone. . . someone attacked our kingdom. . . killed everyone. . . and burned it down to the ground. . ."

"Do you know who it was?"

"I don't know. . . but he. . ." Emily tries to move closer, but falls to the ground. She coughs terribly, and blood starts to seep from her mouth.

"Don't push yourself, Emily!" I cry. "I'm right here, so there's no need to worry." _How can I say that when she's like this? _I think. Her chances of living are so slim now; it would be a miracle if I were to be able to save her now.

"Link. . . he's still here. . . you have to get out of here, before he finds you. . ." Emily continues after taking a few harsh breaths and regaining all the energy she has left. "I know that the Princess is here. . . you have to get her out of here. . .!"

_How does she know I took Zelda with me? _I think in surprise.

"Please, Link. . . I know it's a brazen request, but. . . if you happen to find my children. . . please. . . please help them, and take care of them. . . when I die. . . I don't want them to be all alone. . ."

"Don't say that, Emily! You're going to be fine! You're going to live and you're going to see Kurenai and Matsuda again!" I can barely get the sentence out with choking on my words.

"Tell them. . . that their mother and father love the both of them. . . and tell them to always stick together. . ."

"Tell them yourself!" I yell. "You can't just. . . you can't just die on me now! I barely even got to know you better! I only met you one day, and now you're just going to die like the others?"

"Facing death. . . takes more courage than you think. . ." she sighs. ". . . Thank you, Link, Hero of Time. . . seeing you today, I feel like I can rest in peace. . ."

She starts to lower her head to the ground, and I know that it's only a matter of time before she dies. "Emily! Get a hold of yourself!" I yell.

But it's too late.

She's already dead.

I watch as she becomes lifeless, her breathing disappearing and her chest sinking. My only wish is that she could have died peacefully; she looks peaceful though, like she's done the most important thing in her life. When it comes down to it, this is the first person I've actually witnessed dying. I've seen people get seriously injured and end up in near-death experiences, but I've never actually seen anyone die before. Especially at the hands of a murderer.

I have to find Kurenai and Matsuda now. It was Emily Kai's dying wish. I also have to find Samuel; even if he's dead as well, I can at least give both him and his wife a proper burial, along with his children, if they're gone as well.

I set my sights on the hallway where Samuel had talked to me for the first time; the Osmonts were down the other hallway, so I have to assume that the Kai's live down _this_ hallway. At this point, all I can do is try.

I take one last look at Emily, and bow. It's a sign of respect in Hyrule, especially at funerals. It's only right to bow to those that have passed into the other world. What would happen to Emily's Soul anyways? She was an Angel to begin with, so would she just go to heaven? She probably died with a little bit of revenge in her heart, but I find it weird for an Angel to become a Reaper. And of course, I also find it weird for Emily to have any vengeful feelings at all; she was too nice, too proper for that. I continue to think about this as I begin my walk down the hallway towards where I'm guessing the Kai's house is. The problem with this hallway though is that it's narrow, and there's nowhere for the smoke to get out, so the smoke in here is a lot thicker than back in the throne room. I end up bending down to a hunch so that I don't break into coughing fits from all the smoke in here. The smoke also makes it harder to see where I'm going, so I grab the lantern that's attached to my belt and light it with a bit of fire magic; it's basically the only magic I can use in here. Water and ice would evaporate too fast, and those are the only two magic skills that I would ever think of using in a fire.

When the lantern is lit, I use it to guide myself through the thick smoke. It burns brightly, like a sun that's surrounded by black clouds, as I make my way to the first door in the hallway. That's another problem with this hallway; there are a lot of doors. I don't want to be searching in this place too long. It's too risky.

I press my hand against the smooth surface of the door. It's not hot at all. There must not be any flames in there. When I touch the knob, it doesn't burn my hand; but when I try to turn it and open the door, a cloud of black smoke bursts out into my face, filling the hallway even more with the contaminating gas. I don't even have enough time to get away before the smoke gets into my lungs and kills out my oxygen, causing me to let out a flurry of violent coughs, my throat dry and scratchy. I end up dropping my lantern to the ground so that I can get on my hands and knees and cough, my lungs desperate for clean air. After a few minutes of violent coughing and harsh breathing, I soon get enough oxygen back to satisfy my lungs. I stand back up, staying down on a hunch, and grabbing my lantern on the floor, its flame still burning brightly.

The smoke in the room has risen up above the floor, allowing me to walk inside and examine the area for any bodies. There are a few fallen beams from the ceiling, but after looking underneath all of them, I see that there isn't anyone in here. Which means that I have to go check the next room and most likely get another cloud of smoke explode in my face.

I leave the room behind, leaving the door open behind me in case I need to go back. I keep my pace through the hallway, staying hunched down low, even after my back and neck starts to ache from the pain of staying in this same position for so long.

When I make it to the next door and place my hand on it, I pull it away immediately before I get burned. I feel the urge to skip this room; the smoke would obviously be several times worse than it was in that last room, and I don't need to die from coughing. I kick the door once, for some reason that I don't understand, and continue on.

But something stops me.

I hear a knock back.

When I hear it, I stop and watch the door, waiting for another knock, in case my ears were just playing with me. But sure enough, there are more knocks, each one heavier than the last. Someone is in there, and they need help.

I run back to the door, and kick it with my foot again. I have no idea how they're dealing with the heat in that room, let alone just knocking on the door that's just as hot as it is out in the open. I hear someone talk to me this time.

"Help me!" the voice screams, and then breaks into coughing fits. It's a girl. Kurenai, maybe?

"Just a second, I'll get you out of there!" I yell back.

"Hurry!" she cries.

I grab the doorknob, but all the relief and panic from hearing her voice makes me forget that the doorknob is untouchable; it's even hotter than the door itself. My hand stings from the burning sensation, and I scold myself for being so stupid. My hand is probably burned now; at least it was my right hand, and not my left. But it was still stupid. I have to figure out some other way to get the door down.

I kick the door again, getting the girl's attention.

"Back away from the door! I'm going to kick it down!" I warn her.

"A-Alright!" she stammers. I wait a few moments, and then I hear something bang the door.

_Has she actually moved?_ I think. _I'll just have to assume that she's moved. . ._

I back up from the door, setting my lantern down on the ground before charging at the door and kicking it as hard as I can. The door bursts open, and before the explosion of smoke can reach me, I fall onto my chest on the ground. . . right on top of the burning door.

_Shit, that was smart, you dumbass!_ Dex swears at me as I leap to my feet from the hot door. Now my _chest_ is going to burn. And now I'm up in the smoke again!

_Ugh, dammit it all to hell!_ I end up in another coughing fit, this one worse than before, as I get down to the floor back out in the hallway, waiting for my coughing to cease itself.

"Hey, are you alright?" I hear the girl yell from behind me.

I look back to see Kurenai Kai dragging herself towards me, much like the way her mother was dragging herself around. She doesn't look all that beat up, just scared and covered in soot.

I cough a few more times and then take a few breaths. My lungs are stable again, but just barely. I can't let myself get caught in another smoke cloud like that again. If I do, then I'm screwed.

I crawl over to Kurenai. Then I notice that her legs got the worst of it. I don't think they're broken, but they're bruised up enough to prevent her from walking, which explains the dragging. "I'm so glad you're safe!" I cry in relief, brushing one of her bangs back to see if she has any head injuries. There's a deep cut on her forehead, and blood running down the side of her face and down her neck. Other than that, she still looks like the daughter of the Kai Royal Family that I met so many years ago.

"W-Who are you?" she stammers.

"Ah, right, you probably don't recognize me. . ." I mutter. "I'm sorry. I'm Link. Do you remember me? I came here one time, years ago. You were still a young child back then. I was the boy in the green tunic."

She stares at me for a few moments, and then makes what looks like a smile.

"The one in the tunic. . . now I remember. . . that's right, you were delivering a package to the Osmonts that day," she answers. "I thought you had just come as a delivery boy that one time; and yet here you are, saving me. I can never thank you enough."

"Worry about the thanks later," I stop her. "Right now we need to get out of here."

"I-I'm sorry. . . I can't walk. . ."

"That's fine, I can carry you." I stand up a little further, enough so that I can carefully ease my hands underneath her legs and shoulders to lift her up, her light body draped over my arms like cloth. She's much lighter than I thought; at least I won't have to worry about being slowed down. Kurenai starts to close her eyes, which sets off a brief panic in my mind, but after feeling a slow wave of breathing go through her body, my mind is put at ease.

I've saved Kurenai, but what of Matsuda and the Osmonts? I have to find them as well, dead or alive.

It's hard to navigate through this smoke, now that my hands are occupied by holding Kurenai. It's tied to the back of my belt, but the light from behind me isn't as strong as it was from in front. I'll just have to do my best to pay attention and watch where I'm going.

_Dex,_ I think._ I need your help, buddy._

_What is it? _Dex replies.

_I can't see one meter in front of me, _I reply. _Can you lead the way?_

_Sure, leave it to me_.

After only a few brief seconds, my vision has sharpened, the clouds of smoke around me becoming clearer, as if I was looking through crystal-clear ice. Dex's vision is something I always rely on during situations like these; although, situations like these don't come up very often, so his vision is something that I always have to get used to when I start using it.

I turn around, heading in the direction from where I came, but the panic sets in again when I see that the stone beams from above have fallen and blockaded the way. Normally, I could just crawl through, but I have Kurenai with me, and I don't think I'd want to risk it. And I don't have the type of strength like Yashiro does to just lift the beams and move them aside; and the last thing I want to do is call the Reapers for help. They have no idea that I'm here, and I don't want them to know about it anytime soon. Of course, when I come home with a nearly dead body and possibly even _more_ nearly dead bodies, I'm going to have quite a bit of explaining to do.

_But where do I go now?_ I think. I don't want to go the other way; I don't have the luxury or the time to go exploring and find another way out.

"Kurenai," I whisper, awakening her from her slumber. She opens her eyes halfway to look at me. "Is there any other way out of here? The main hallway is impassable."

She tilts her neck slightly to look at the blockaded path, and then looks back at me.

"There is. . . a secret passage. It's accessible from my father's room. . ." she replies in a weak and tired voice.

"Where's your father's room?" I ask.

"It's the last room at the end of this hallway."

"That's perfect. Thank you."

Kurenai nods slightly, and then drifts off into her sleep again.

I stare ahead, further down the hallway. It's the only way I can go now; so I might as well go. Right now, I have to get Kurenai to safety, and any other surviving Angels as well. Then I remember that Zelda is here, looking for the Osmonts. I have to believe in her as well.

* * *

**An Interlude**

Zelda kicks aside another dead body as she walks down the hallway leading to the Osmonts' main room.

"Ugh. . . so many dead people. . ." she scoffs to herself. "He said it was going to be bad, but I never imagined it would be like this. . ."

_You can never be too sure with Mikoshi-kun_, a voice inside her head snickers. _He did warn you; you just didn't listen. _

"We'll never find any survivors in this mess," Zelda says aloud, replying to the voice in her head. She sees another dead body in her path, and shoves it aside with her foot.

_Don't forget that they're Angels_, the voice laughs. _I wonder if they could pull off any resurrecting tricks. _

Zelda snickers back to the joke as she continues to shove bodies out of the way.

"Who do you think did this anyway?" Zelda asks herself, or rather, the voice in her head.

_Beats me. Maybe a few Fallen Angels out for revenge; their clan was recently destroyed, remember? They automatically blamed the Angels for the destruction of their kingdom._

"Yes, but it was a different person behind that. It may have been the same person who attacked _this_ place."

_The Society?_

"No. . . the air here feels different. . . I'd be able to tell immediately if it was the Society, but something in the air here tells me otherwise."

_So you rely on the air for information?_ The voice laughs. _You're letting Makoto's madness rub off on you; Rei's too. _

"Just trust me for once," Zelda mutters. "There's something here that's far more dangerous than one member of the Society. . ."

_. . . Two members of the Society? Three? One hundred?_ The voice laughs again.

Zelda rolls her eyes. "Something worse than the Society itself. Shut up with the jokes, I'm getting sick of them. This is serious. There's been a lot of weird things happening lately; two of Hyrule's oldest civilizations don't just blow up into flames in a month. Somebody is behind this attack; and it's not the Society. They're too busy dealing with how to get Link right now. Nothing good would come out of killing the Angels and the Fallen Angels. That's just stupid and a waste of time."

_Suit yourself, I've got no thoughts on this at all,_ the voice sighs. _Right now, we have to see if there are any survivors; for Link's sake, as well as our own. _

"Yes. If it came down to it, we could all be blamed for this; we're not exactly friends with Hyrule's government and military."

_We don't need Makoto-kun to land in jail again either,_ the voice snickers. _And if you think that's a joke - it is; but it's also not. If all of us ended up in jail, you would probably get the worst of it; penalty of death for harboring criminals, deceiving the kingdom of Hyrule, collaborating with criminals, fighting back to Hyrule's military, etcetera. . . _

"I don't need you to remind me of that," Zelda replies with harshness in her voice. "I know full well the consequences of what I'm doing; I knew what I was getting myself into when I joined Makoto and the others."

The voice doesn't reply. Zelda smiles to herself once before stopping in front of a door. She looks around once, before lifting her foot and knocking the door down in one swift kick, not bothering to test the doorknob first. The door falls to the floor, bearing escape for the giant cloud of smoke from the other side. Zelda runs to the side of the door quickly, evading the explosion, and then ducks before all the smoke settles near the ceiling and gets into her throat. Staying in her crouched position, she sneaks into the small room, immediately spotting another dead body. There are several of them, a lot of them laying on top of each other in a pile.

"There are so many of them. . ." Zelda mutters to herself in sadness. She stares at the pile of bodies, staring down every single one with grief in her eyes. "There can't possibly be any survivors in this mess. . . it's just not-"

"H-Help me!"

Zelda spins around to see a little boy, running away from a swarm of flaming Keese. The boy spots Zelda immediately, and grabs her arm as he's running past her. Zelda pulls back on him, stopping him from his escape.

"Get rid of those things!" the boy cries as he points to the swarm of Keese that are getting closer to them, the little bat bodies encased in hot flames.

Zelda rolls her eyes, a sigh escapign her as she rips out her sword from the sheath hidden underneath her trenchcoat, and in one swing, slashes all the Keese to death at once. They all fall to the ground, the flames dispersing, and their bodies turning into twilight and disappearing into the air.

Zelda turns around to see the boy shaking and crying in his spot behind her, tears running down his face.

"For Goddesses' sake, kid, they're just a bunch of Keese," Zelda groans. "Nothing to be afraid of! Quit crying!"

The boy looks up at her, and sniffles.

"Come on, get rid of those tears! Boys don't cry, now do they? Wipe off that stupid baby face.""

The boy sniffles again, and then wipes away his tears with his sleeve. His clothes, which probably used to be white considering that's the style of clothing the Angels wear, is now covered with ash and dust, and looks like it's been burned in a few places with fire.

"Now, tell me your name," Zelda demands without changing her strict expression.

"M-Matsuda. . . Matsuda Kai. . ." the boy stammers, still a little emotional from the crying.

"A Kai? Why are you over here in the Osmont's building?"

"I-I was going to see Maximillian and his family. . . but then. . . _this _happened. . ." He blubbers a little bit, and then he starts to cry again. "T-They're all dead!"

"And you're the only survivor?"

"I-I don't know. . . My sister! Where's Kurenai? Oh no, she can't be dead too. . . ! If she's dead, I don't know what I'll-"

Zelda hits Matsuda over the top of his head, grabbing his attention. "Shut up and get ahold of yourself! I'm sure your sister is fine, but if you keep crying about it, _you're _going to be the one in trouble, not her! Now man up!"

Matsuda wipes his tears away for the second time.

"Now, can you tell me how long ago this happened?" Zelda asks, a little calmer so that she doesn't scare him further.

Matsuda sniffles a bit more until he regains himself, replying, "I think it was a half-hour ago. . . all I remember is that this place burst into flames all at once, and then after I left the room to look for any other survivors, those bats started chasing me!"

"A half-hour ago, huh?" Zelda says, as she looks up at the ceiling. _The attacker could possibly still be here, _she thinks._ I have to find Link and get out of here, immediately._

"Can you run fast?" Zelda asks Matsuda He looks up at her with his tear-streaked face, and shakes his head.

"I've never been a really fast runner. . ." Matsuda says in a quivering voice. "B-But I can fly. I only have my child wings, but I can still fly. . ."

"Only child wings? Hmm. . . I guess it's the only choice we have at this point. Alright, if you can fly, then fly. We need to get out of here, and meet up with Link. He may have found your parents, and possibly your sister."

"Link?" Matsuda asks. "Why do I recognize that name?"

"I'll explain later," Zelda mutters. "Quit standing around and get those Angel wings out so we can get out of here."

"Oh, r-right, sorry," Matsuda stammers. After a few moments of standing still, Angel wings sprout from his back. But they're not the type of Angel wings that most Angels are deemed of having, with white feathers that spread out wide from their backs; instead, the wings are very transluscent, almost completely transparent, and each feather is separate of each other. Each feather is a pretty color, from deep purple to light blues, and they sparkle with a sort of strange radiance that Zelda had never seen before. Matsuda slowly floats up from the ground as his wings begin to flutter softly, and he flies up higher, above Zelda's head.

"There's an exit up there, through the roof," Zelda instructs, pointing up at the huge, gaping hole that had collapsed much earlier. "You fly up there, I'll catch up to you."

"How are you going to-"

"Just go, kid!"

Matsuda stares at her a little in disbelief, but then flies up through the exit, disappearing into the smoke-filled sky.

Zelda examines the area surrounding her for a few moments, locating all the fallen beams, piles of rubble, and broken windows in the large dome-like room. _Four broken windows,_ she calculates to herself. _Two on each left and right side of the room. Six beams down; one leaning against the second broken window on the right side. _

_Zelda, hurry up and make a decision before this building falls down on top of us! _the other voice in her head yells angrily.

_Shut up and leave this to me_, Zelda replies. She snaps her knuckles before charging at one of the fallen beams, leaping onto the structure, and then jumping onto the windowsill next to it. Taking only a second to think of what to do next, she leaps towards one of the red veils that are hanging from the ceiling that isn't actually on fire, and grabs it with her gloved hands, her fingers grasping the soft fabric as she swings and lands onto another fallen beam. She climbs up the beam like a monkey, and when she reaches the top, she takes a final jump, grabbing onto the ledge of the hole in the ceiling, and then hoists herself up onto the roof outside. She looks up to see Matsuda floating just above where she's standing.

"Good, you're still here," Zelda snickers. "Let's get moving. We have to meet up with Link."

While Matsuda flies through the air, Zelda trails shortly behind him, leaping across the rooftops and over the holes and flames.

_Now we just have to meet up with Link_, Zelda thinks._ Hopefully the idiot hasn't gotten into any trouble. . ._

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 9 (continued)**

Holy hell, I am in trouble.

First of all, Kurenai has fainted. I'm hoping it's nothing serious; it may just be due to the loss of blood from her legs and all the burns that she has. But it makes me wish that Shuto or Uzuki were here; at least they know a lot more about medical situations like these than I do.

Second, I'm in a maze of secret underground passages that are supposed to lead me out of the castle, and I know that because the passages are underground, the whole system could collapse on me from the fire up above. With Kurenai unconscious, I can't ask her the way out of here. And I'm not even sure she'd know the way; she may have never had the opportunity to go through here. It's all just so risky.

I continue to walk forward through the stone-walled tunnels, my heart racing in fear of this place falling down on me; every so often, I can hear a thump from above, and it makes me jump, my fear rising even higher every time.

This place just seems to go on and on forever, and I'm starting to have my doubts as to whether I'll be outside the castle, or outside of _Hyrule_. It may just be my impatience that's making this walk seem so long. I'm also weighed down by Kurenai; if I could run out of here at full speed, I'd be out of here in less than a second. But I can't leave Kurenai behind either, and it's not like she can walk on her own with her leg injuries. I just have to keep walking and hope that I get out of here soon, in one piece.

I'm glad for the silence in here though. All I can hear is Kurenai's breathing, my own breathing, the sound of water dripping from the ceiling and onto the stone ground, and the sound of the odd rat scurrying by. I don't have to hear the sound of flames burning, beams falling from the ceiling, or the horrible sound of extreme coughing when I get a huge cloud of smoke blown in my face.

After a few more minutes of walking, a wave of relief washes over me when I see a stairwell at the end of the tunnel, a thin line of light shining above it. I make my way up the stone stairs, and when I reach the top, I realize that the light has only formed a line because it's seeping through the crack of the closed door at the top of the stairs. There's a strip of thick fabric nailed to the door. I grab the fabric, and push with my right shoulder, the door slowly but successefully opening and revealing the smoky light of the outside world. Thankfully, all the smoke has risen above into the clouds, so I don't get a heaping amount of smoke in my face, but because of the smoke and the flames, its begun to rain; acid rain. Of course, acid rain is the least of my worries right now. I have to meet up with Zelda and see if she found anyone else that survived.

When I reach the spot where Zelda and I had split up, I'm just in time to see Zelda walking out from the innards of the castle, a much younger boy walking behind her. It must be Matsuda; he hasn't changed a bit. I wave at Zelda, signalling for her to come over. She starts to walk towards me, but she only makes it halfway when she's stopped by something. Her neck snaps in a different direction, where she sees a shadowy figure of somebody standing on one of the castle ruins. A very thin blade suddenly fires out, and before Zelda can react, she's struck right in the arm, blood flying out from her skin. Matsuda screams. I scream.

Before I can process what just happened, the boy switches his gaze to me, and charges.


	10. Deathbringer Child

Hey guys,

Took me a while to finally get this chapter submitted, first because I find it hard to make long chapters that are purely devoted to fight scenes, and second because the site was down at the time that I wanted to submit and it wouldn't let me (same for Reaper Chapter 2, so this chapter and Chapter 2 of Reaper have been submitted at about the same time). Hope you all like this chapter! Enjoy, R&R.

Uzuki Cheverie

Ever on and on, I continue circling

With nothing but my hate on a carousel of agony

Till slowly I forget and my heart starts vanishing

And suddenly I see that I can't break free.

- Touhou Project, "Bad Apple!" English Version

**Time Gate: The Adult Chapters**

**Chapter 10: Deathbringer Child**

This child is the devil. How else could it _move _like that? It's body shifts like paper folding together and disappearing, like his movements are the results of some stupid disappearing card trick. It's like he's stepping into twilight and vanishing in thin air. The robe that he's wearing, covered with straps and buckles, is constantly turning into twilight squares as he disappears and reappears.

But he doesn't attack.

He just keeps walking around us, vanishing and reappearing; he's obviously trying to confuse us.

"They. . . They. . ." he says in a weak and trembling voice. "They told me. . . to kill you. . ."

I risk turning my gaze away from him to look at Zelda, who's now ignoring her bleeding arm and caring for Matsuda and Kurenai, trying to keep their wounds from getting any worse than they already have. Kurenai is still bleeding, and I can see the painful looking burns that are on Matsuda's body.

"Zelda, get them out of here," I order her, tension building in my voice.

"Will you be able to handle that thing on your own?" she asks me as she clutches her arm again.

"Just go. Now!"

She takes Matsuda and Kurenai and runs off. I'm surprised she's able to carry them both at the same time, especially with her wounded arm; she carries them like burlap sacks, one over each shoulder.

I turn back to the child, and am relieved to see that he hasn't even _considered _attacking me.

"W-Why did you let her go?" the boy stammers worriedly. "Is she one that you c-care about? Is she one you want to keep alive?"

"Who are you?" I ask, ignoring his strange questions.

"S-She is a traitor, a _demon _. . . she is one of them that I have to kill! My master told me that! He told me to kill her and drag her body to the Society!"

"I said, who are you?" I ask again, this time in an angrier tone.

"Why do you protect her? Her double-edged Soul resonates with both the enemy and the hero, and she. . . she is. . . she is a demon. . ."

"I'm going to ask one more time: _who are you_?" I hold my sword up, ready to charge at him and tear him limb from limb. I don't want him alive. I want him dead.

"I am one of _them_. . ." he cries. "Her, him, her, him, him, him, _me_. . ." He starts lumbering around on his feet, half spinning, almost like he's dizzy.

"What?"

"Tuxedo, bandages, robe, tunic. . . tunic, armor, _me_. . ."

Now this kid isn't making any sense at all. But I still want to hear him out. He's obviously mentally insane, but Shuto is always telling me that mentally unstable people make the most sense; that they know the true structure of the world. That is, if you can make out what they're trying to say.

"_He _rips my chest apart from the inside out. . . _she_ follows _him_ and lays bloody bodies in the ground, covered in bandages made from their own skin and Soul. . . _she_ follows _her _and glides along the ground with grace. . . _he_ follows _her_ and speaks only when spoken to. . ."

"You have three seconds to tell me who you are," I growl. "Spit it out, and stop talking in code."

"If I don't talk like this. . . _he_ shall find me and rip _me _apart. . . just like _he _did to _her_. . . and _him_. . . and hopefully not _me_. . ." His dizzyness takes him over even more, as he spins around on his feet.

I throw aside any thoughts that he may be able to tell me anything and attack him, my sword missing him just by a split second when he disappears into twilight. His disappearance leaves me standing in a pool of blood.

That blood wasn't there before. But when I look at my sword, there's none there, and I realize that he hadn't shed it; it must have been there already. I just never noticed it before. I spin around to see that he's standing directly across from where he used to be. He's still carrying that sword, the sword made with a twisted black and white blade, that shines when the flames' light flickers across it. There's a strange jewel encrusted in the handle; it reminds me of the golden jewel that's placed on the Master Sword's hilt. This jewel shines a deep black, and there almost seems to be something inside of it, staring back at me. . . I have to get a closer look at this blade.

"Have to kill you. . . otherwise. . . they'll. . . send _him_ after _me_. . . and _he'll_ kill _me_. . ." the boy cries, his light-grey eyes wide with shock and despair. His eyes have looked like that since he appeared. They're the eyes of paranoid people; schizophrenics and maniacs. People like Makoto and Uzuki and Mitsuhiro.

I charge at the boy, with the intent to get a closer look at his sword. When I swing at him, he does exactly what I want him to do; he brings up his own sword to block it. I push my blade back against his, so that are swords are scraping against each other, fighting to knock the other one over. While we're like this, I take a look at the jewel on the hilt of the sword, it's black color holding flickering red colors from the flames that surround us. Suddenly, something grows inside the jewel, a snake-like eye with a sharp pupil that glares back at me with hostility. I'm suddenly blown back by some heavy force, and I land hard on my back. The eye in the hilt is now staring at me, with more hostility than before. I support myself with my sword as I get back up.

"Blood eater. . ." the boy says sadly as he brings his sword up behind him,"stain this man's tainted soul with the blood of fear and hate. . ." He pulls on the handle, swinging the sword in an arc so that it comes back in front of him, and swinging it through the air. A visible shockwave is thrown at me, and hits me square in the chest, knocking me back onto the ground. My chest is stinging from where I was hit. When I look down to see if I was wounded, I see a thin but deep cut from the shockwave strewn right across my torso. I didn't expect a shockwave like that to do so much damage. It's like the shockwave was it's own blade. It was strong enough to get through my defense and cut through my jacket and shirt, and it still made an extremely deep cut in my skin after going through all that. That's something that I don't want to get caught in again; I may end up getting killed next time. If that thing goes for my head, I'm done for.

_Dex, we need to do something about this!_ I think angrily.

_Of course I'm the one you consult first_, Dex snickers._ Can't you save your own ass for once? _

_Do you want to die? _

_It's probably better than you asking for help all the time from me like a little child._

The boy topples over towards me like a drunk person, swinging his sword around as he goes. His movements are so stupid, so unpredictable, so unorthodox, that I just can't seem to get away from his attacks. I can block them, but it's hard to tell where is sword is going to go next when he barely has control over it and is just swinging it everywhere like an inexperienced maniac.

"Die! Die now!" the boy screams as he continues to swing at me recklessly. I keep dodging his attacks, jumping back further and further each time.

"Sorry, kid!" I yell back. I leap at him with my blade when his defense is open, and strike him right in the chest. "But I don't intend on dying without a good fight!" The blood sprays from his chest, but before it hits the ground, it stops, right in midair, like time itself had been frozen. Then, it starts to recollect itself and floats back up towards the boy. The boy tilts his head back, so far that I can only see his chin and neck, and then he opens his mouth. The blood flies down his throat, a surprised look on his face.

Ew.

When all the blood reenters his body, the boy lowers his head, looking back at me, and wipes the leftover blood from his lower lip.

"Blood doesn't taste that great, you know," the boy says in his soft, yet creepy tone of voice. He licks his lip with his tongue, and then holds his sword back up. I notice that his wound has already completely healed over.

I don't think I can kill this kid. I don't even think I can hurt him. It seems that if he takes any physical damage, the blood just floats back to him, like he's some sort of magnet. And then his wounds just heal themselves in remarkable time.

Well, if I can't win, then I can just hold him off until I can make my escape with Zelda, Kurenai, and Matsuda.

Our swords clash endlessly for so long. I block his attacks, he blocks mine. Our fighting styles, if you don't count his recklessness, are so alike that it's scary. He blocks the same way I do; he runs the same way I do; his fighting stance is the exact same as mine; even the smile that crosses his face when he knows he has the upper hand is similar to mine.

He even. . . looks like me.

Everything about him reminds me of myself from when I was a child. His hairstyle (even if his hair is white), his eyes (which are also white), his form (his skin is, not surprisingly, very pale, almost white), and even the way he scratches his neck every so often is the same as me.

Now his similarity to me is getting me mad. Now I really want him dead.

But when I strike him, our swords meet in the same way, and we both get blown back. Our fighting styles are just too similar for there to be a winner; the only difference is that he can swallow his own blood as a healing power, no matter how gross it tastes. Does that make him invincible? No, there's always a way to defeat a person, even if they seem like the strongest person alive. I just need to find his weak spot. So far, the only flaw I've found in his fighting technique is his recklessness. He's just swinging his sword around, and when he walks, it's with a certain kind of drunk clumsiness. I managed to break through his defense once, but the only thing that I got from that was the knowledge that he could heal himself by taking in his own blood. But what is the extent of his power?

I guess I have to perform a few more tests to find out.

I turn around, and head for the nearest building structure that's still standing over five feet. This one is a good ten to fifteen feet. I put my sword away and run at it, leaping onto the wall and running up the side. The boy follows me, and stops at the wall.

_Ha! I don't think he can walk on walls!_ I think happily as a grin grows on my face.

Shit.

He has extra arms. I recall the Kyodai no Akuma having something similar to this. They're not exactly arms, but more or less physical forms of shadows growing from his back and digging its claws into the brick, supporting him as he climbs up.

I run up higher onto the wall, until there's no place left to run. He climbs up after me, and then grabs my foot with one of his shadow arms. By now I'm standing on the worn down brick wall; I try to shake its hand off, but I lose my footing, and I fall down inside the building, landing on my back on one of the marble pillars that just happens to be there.

I feel a snap in my back. I can't move.

The boy jumps down off the spot where I used to be standing, and lands only a few inches away from me. My body is in too much shock from the impact; I really can't move right now. This has happened to me before though, so at least I know that my back just needs to pull itself back together and I'll be walking again in no time; it may hurt a little while I walk, but it's nothing too painful that I can't deal with.

The boy takes his blade and presses the tip to my neck.

"W-What do you want from me?" I grunt in pain, my back searing with pain.

"Link Nohansen Hyrule," the boy says in his melancholy voice. "They told me to kill you. So kill you I shall."

"Who told you. . . to kill me. . . ?"

"The superior ones. The ones that can escape from death, just like I can."

_The Society,_ I immediately think._ There's no other explanation for it; I can't think of anyone else that would want me dead. But where did they get this kid? He can't be human, it's just not possible; he can't even be a Reaper. _

"Kid. . . what's your name. . . ?" I ask.

"I don't have a name," he replies.

"You must have a name. . . what do people call you?"

"The superior ones call me 'Kronoa'."

_Kronoa. Why does that sound so familiar? I think Uzuki had been muttering something about Kronoa a little while ago._

"Kronoa. . ." I hiss. "Why. . . why did you destroy this once beautiful kingdom? What did the Angels ever do to you?" I scream. Just screaming hurts enough.

"They were in my way," the boy says. "They were in the superior ones' way. So they ordered me to get rid of them. I have to listen to the superior ones. If I don't, they'll send _him_ out to kill me. I don't want _him_ to kill _me_."

I start to nudge myself upwards, until I'm on my elbows and I can crawl backwards away from him. l crawl off the marble beam, and onto the ash-covered ground, getting farther from the boy. He slowly walks towards me, his sword slung over his shoulder as he takes slow, shuffling steps.

"You. . . you need to die. . . please die. . ." the boy mutters. "If you don't die, then _I'll_ die. . . and I don't want to die. . . so you must die. . ."

"G-Get away from me!" I scream in terror as I back up further and further. My back just won't get better. I need to snap it on something; it sounds painful - and it is for a while - but it fixes it and allows me to walk again.

"Stop moving away from me!" the boy yells at me. One of the shadow arms on his back lashes out and grabs my foot, swinging me into the air and throwing me into the wall of the ruined building. My entire body shoots with pain from the impact, and before I can recoil, the arm grabs me again and swings me into _another _wall. He keeps grabbing me and flinging me around, like a ragdoll, throwing me into marble beams, walls, and dirt.

He eventually throws me to the ground, which immediately sparks the idea in my head that he's showing me a bit of mercy. I try to crawl away, but before I can, he picks me up one last time and lifts me high into the air, higher than the buildings, and then throws me down very forcefully straight into the ground. My body hurts for a split second, but then I realize something. . .

. . . all his reckless actions fixed my back.

Fortunately, he doesn't lift me up again. It gives me time to shake away all the fuzziness from my brain from being flung around. After I can see decently again and the pain from my back has decreased, I begin my fight with him again. One side of my chest is hurting a lot though. I may have ruptured one of my ribs. Either way, I won't know until I get away from here and get back to the Reapers in the Dark Realm, with Zelda, Kurenai and Matsuda, in one piece.

I get up to my feet, ripping a kunai out from my belt holster and whipping it at the boy, the weapon flying through the air and straight for the boy's face. I'm sure that he's going to get hit; he's not even bothering to dodge the uncoming attack. But then, when it's only a foot away from his face, he opens his mouth, and lets his tongue cushion the weapon as it enters his mouth and slides down his throat.

_Holy shit!_ Dex screams. _That's not normal!_

I curse under my breath, perfectlly agreeing with Dex's words. That's not normal _at all_. The fact that the kunai didn't damage his body at all when it went down his throat at such speed is miraculous. The fact that he could even swallow it is amazing enough. But what is he accomplishing by eating it? And how did he swallow it while the kunai was traveling at such a speed? Such a task would require the kunai to be moving much slower, slow enough for his mouth to get a hold of it and swallow it without choking on it. Such a task would require you to slow down time itself.

"Dex, I need you! Here, right now!" I order as I stare at the boy who's smiling back at me. He licks his lips.

_I'll be there in two seconds, Link!_ Dex replies.

"Metal doesn't taste all that great either. . ." the boy sighs. He lifts his sword back up onto his shoulders, his body lowering and his knees bending from all the weight.

_Dex, get over here. . ._ I think in a panic. I know that the longer I stay here, the higher chance there is of me and the rest of us not making it out of this alive.

I see a flash of light in the sky, and I look up, straying from Kronoa's gaze to meet my partner in battle. A cloud of darkness explodes out from the ash clouds above, the acid rain that's falling creating a lot more menacing look for the shadow. The shadows complete disperse as Dex lands with a thud on his feet on the hard ground, his head lowered down to the dirt before looking up with his crazed expression.

"Dex is here!" Dex cheers to himself. Then he bows as if he's just done the most spectacular thing ever. Then he looks up and points at Kronoa. "And he's here to kick your ass!"

Krona gives Dex an odd look.

"H-Hello number two. . ." he says in his crazy voice. "I'm so glad that you exist. . . otherwise _I_ wouldn't exist. . . but then maybe it would be better if I didn't exist. . . right?"

"You got that right, you little shit," Dex sneers. Bits of twilight begin to float up from Dex's feet, forming into the black Master Sword that he's so fond of using, it's handle placing itself in his left hand. He taps the tip of the blade against his forehead jokingly. Then he sticks out his grey tongue at the boy.

"Prepare to eat dirt," he snickers.

"D-Dirt doesn't taste really good, you know," the boy wails. "I should know; Oromaru makes me eat it all the time!"

Dex raises his eyebrow. "Oromaru?" he asks. "As in the Society?"

"He's a bully!"

"Yeah, I know about Oromaru," Dex sighs. "You're Kronoa, aren't you? I remember you."

"Dex?" I ask. "What are you talking about? You know this freak?"

"Link, turn around," Dex hisses.

"What? What the hell are you talking about?"

"I said _turn around_. I'm taking care of this fight, okay? You get back to Zelda and the kids; I'll take care of the freak." Dex nods at me, signalling for me to leave. I back up, gripping my arm from the pain of all the impact of being thrown around, and make my way back to Zelda, where she's trying to stop Kurenai's bleeding.

When I reach her, I take my hand off my own injured arm and set my sword down so that I can reach into the medical kit attached to my belt, pulling out a roll of bandages. I rip off a huge chunk and press it down onto Kurenai's wound, desperately trying to stop the bleeding. It's not like she has many wounds; it's just that whatever wounds she does have are extremely _deep_. It's mainly just the gash that's on her belly that's causing all the bleeding.

"Take care of Matsuda!" I tell Zelda. She spins around, still balanced on her toes, and tries to locate all of Matsuda's burns, and thankfully, he doesn't struggle.

I tie thick layers of bandages around Kurenai's major wound, tying it as tightly as I possibly can so that the pressure remains on the wound. _I can't let Dex fight on his own,_ I think. _He nearly killed me; I don't need Dex risking his life for mine. _

I grab my sword off the ground as I charge back to Dex's side, where he's holding off Kronoa's blade. The eye in the gem on Kronoa's hilt suddenly widens again, and Dex and I are both sent back by the same strange force that had sent me back just moments ago.

"D-Dammit. . ." Dex swears as he lifts himself onto his elbows. "That hurt a lot more than I thought it would. . ."

"Are you okay?" I ask him.

"Could be better, but I guess it's too late for that now, don't you think?" He reaches over and shoves my chest. "Now get the hell out of here. There's no reason for you to be in this fight."

I glare at him. "What the hell are you talking about, Dex? That _thing_ destroyed this place, and killed Emily and Samuel! And now you're telling me there's no reason for me to be in this fight? Why do you suddenly feel there's more of a reason for you to fight than me?"

Dex climbs to his feet. "That's just the way it is, Link!" he yells. "This mess isn't your fault, it's mine!" Then his face hardens, as if what he said was something he didn't mean to. There's a short pause between us, and then I finally speak up.

"What do you mean this is your fault?" I ask. "This is the Society's fault, not yours or mine!"

"N-No it's not. . ." he sighs. "Link, I can't explain here. You just need to run. If he gets you, things are going to be worse than they are now. _Much_ worse. So just get out of here."

"I'm not leaving!" I growl as I finally get up to my feet. Dex shoves me in the chest again.

"You are so stupid! Fighting in a battle that doesn't belong to you!" Dex growls back.

"It's not whether or not the battle belongs to me!" I yell. "I just don't need to lose any of my comrades!" I grab his shoulder with a tight grip. "And that includes you!"

Dex stares at me for a moment, and then removes my hand from my shoulder with his own. "Fine. But don't blame me if you get killed."

"I don't want anyone to die, Dex," I reply. "We have to stick up for each other; being the same person and all. Besides, what would the Deity do, if he was here?"

Dex bites his lip. "Good Din, you're too much like him. . . but I guess he would say that we have to stick together, huh? Geez, you two are way too goody-goody. I swear you two are going to get yourselves killed if you keep thinking like that."

"Could be worse," I laugh. "I could be stubborn as hell, like you."

"You _are_ stubborn," Dex laughs back. "If you weren't, you would have left the moment I told you to."

I walk ahead of Dex with my sword in hand. "Stubborn as hell, yet supporting of his comrades; nice to have a little bit of both, don't you think."

Dex walks up next to me with his sword as well, and grins. "You know, I still don't approve of it. If you get killed, I swear I'm not coming to your funeral."

"Not coming to yours either," I snicker. "Now, let's put on a real show." I take out a kunai and grip it in my right hand. I make funny little gestures with it at Dex, waving it around playfully. "Just in case this is our finale."

Dex pulls out something from the bag attached to his belt. It's a really small bomb with a ring attached. A grenade, as Uzuki calls it. Then he pulls the ring off, and smiles at me.

"Let's start and go out with a real _bang_," Dex laughs as he aims and throws the bomb at Kronoa. It lands at Kronoa's feet, and he looks down at it in wonder. Dex and I jump back right before it explodes in Kronoa's face. It's not even a bomb really; more of a flash bomb than an exploding one. But it still confuses Kronoa, making him vulnerable and giving us a chance to attack. Dex and I jump at Kronoa and attack in different spots, Dex attacking his legs while I attack his torso. I can feel my blade slice through his body, so I jump back afterwards to examine the damage. Dex does the same, jumping back to the other side. We both watch as Kronoa's body – or should I say body _parts_ – fall to the ground. Split into three pieces, his top half, middle section of his torso, and the rest of him from his waist down land next to each other. I've never gone to such a level with killing people, but now it's too late. The human feeling of murder will kick in later, as will the sickness from the sight of it and the nightmares that will occur at night.

"Ugh. . ." Dex says under his breath. I can tell that he's not enjoying the sight either. "Hopefully he doesn't come back from that. . ."

Suddenly, a loud screeching noise pierces the air.

"Spoke too soon!" I yell. I look down at Kronoa, screaming like a dying shadow beast as the pools of blood from his severed body parts start to move on their own, reconnecting themselves like wires. He continues to scream as the blood pulls his body parts back together, reforming himself until he's laying on his belly, completely whole again. He grabs his sword and pushes the blade into the ground, using it as support to lift himself up. His head hangs low as he glares at us from underneath his white white – now slightly stained from the blood. He starts to straighten his posture, his back making cracking sounds as his spine reforms and reattaches itself, and screams again to the sky, his wail piercing my eardrums. When I think about it, it's not a shadow beast that his scream reminds me of, but rather the haunting scream that once belonged to Majora's Mask when it had taken over Skull Kid's body. I remember that scream, all too well. Dex probably remembers it too; his face has formed the same sickly expression that mine has.

Kronoa stops screaming, but continues to make the odd Skull-Kid-wail as he heads for me, swinging his sword around uncontrollably.

"Now you've made me mad!" he screams. I block all of his attacks, but they just keep coming, wave after wave of strange and uncontrolled attacks. His eyes have changed to red, the same red color that possesses my eyes when I turn demon.

_He's just like me._

I slide my blade off his, breaking his defense, and run to his backside, striking him in the back with my sword. The blood that flies off his body stops in midair again, and flies back into his mouth like before.

_We're not going to get anywhere just slashing at him like this_, I tell Dex through thought. _Didn't you see the way he pulled his body back together like that? _

_I know, I saw it!_ Dex snaps back. _If there really is no way to kill him, then we'll just have to hold him off!_

_Until when? The Reapers don't know we're here, and we can't exactly call for back up either! _

_We'll just have to figure something out! _Dex retorts.

The boy locks his gaze on me, lifting his sword up into the air, ready to attack again. All I can do is what Dex told me to – hold the kid off until we can figure out a better plan. Although, being caught in this strange situation, I can't exactly say that I have all the time in the world to think. As the boy's sword comes down, I bring up my own, blocking the metal of his sword with the metal of mine. He presses his sword into mine, pushing me down towards the ground. He seems much stronger in physical strength than he did a few minutes ago. Could the blood that he re-absorbs into his body be making him stronger?

I fall to my knee under the strength of his sword, and I know that my guard will be broken soon.

"I'm going to cut you to pieces!" the boy hisses, his eyes filled with a lust for killing. "Your blood will make me _stronger_! And then I'll finally be able to take _him _down!"

"W-What?" I stammer. He sounds like Ganondorf. My blood will reawaken Ganondorf. . . what will my blood do to this child?

"I don't have enough of your blood!" he yells, his voice high-pitched with laughter. "Not enough! I need more, and then I'll be stronger! That's what they promised me!"

I take my right hand off the sword, and with my last bit of energy, I blow the boy back with gravity magic, using all the Soul power I have left that I can use without knocking myself out completely. The magic makes a morphed, deep noise as it explodes in a sphere of Soul, blowing Kronoa back into a marble beam, his head hitting the marble with a bang. I hear his neck snap. He looks back at me, his neck making more cracking sounds as the bones snap back into place. My stomach starts to feel woozy, and I feel the nausea coming on, but I try to hold it back by swallowing and wiping my mouth quickly. I stand up from the ground, the boy still standing against the marble, and we stare at each other, a silent battle igniting in our eyes.

I'm tired, and I'm hungry. My magic is getting low, and the smoke in the air is not only irritating my eyes and the rest of my body, but my lungs as well, making it harder for me to breath. If I keep attacking, Kronoa will just keep absorbing his blood and will most likely get stronger and stronger. And if he's the same as Ganon when it comes to my blood, one hit on me and it's all over. I can't let my pride get ahead of me; I need the Reapers to help me out. They're probably already trying to find me; I'm surprised they haven't tried contacting me with on my C.T. crystal yet. They probably figured that I would lie about where I was – they've been with me long enough to know that I like doing things on my own – and so they probably decided not to waste their time contacting me.

Kronoa and I continue to glare at each other, not taking our eyes away, not lifting our weapons, and barely even breathing. Dex is watching us, analyzing our actions and probably wondering why we're not making a move. Kronoa doesn't even look the least bit tired; and yet I'm here out of breath, and nearly on the verge of collapse. Normally, I'd still be full of energy, but all the smoke and fire and getting thrown into brick/marble walls hasn't done me all that good. I can't even get up from the position on my knees. Today's just not my day.

_I need to get out of here. I need to run, as fast as I can. But he'll probably come after me. . . now that he has me weak, he probably won't let me go. Why doesn't he just make the final move already?_

Kronoa lifts his heavy sword and balances it on his shoulders, wobbling on his feet slightly before catching his balance.

"G-Get up. . ." he stammers, his voice quivering again like before. "I don't like fighting people who don't want to fight! Get up!"

I glare at him. "A killer who still has honor. . ." I hiss. "What the hell are you?"

"I'm just like you. . ." he says. "No home, no control, no sanity. . ."

"You and I are not the same," I growl.

"No _control_," he repeats, his voice raising as he brings his sword back up. "Just no control. . ." His sword comes down, smashing it straight into the ground, causing the earth to turn up at the sides. The shockwave of air and dirt flies at me, striking me in the chest and knocking me back even further into a wall. I can feel my chest burn and sting, and I know immediately that I must be bleeding non-stop. My vision starts to blur, and my head suddenly feels like it's being banged on by a million hammers at once. Black circles start to float in front of my eyes, and my body starts to tingle. I don't feel anything, even after I see the blood explode from my mouth. My body suddenly feels limp, and in less than a second I can't feel my legs. I topple over onto my back, landing hard, my head hitting the ground with full force. But I barely feel anything.

Everything feels light and woozy, like I've been spinning around for hours on end and am now suffering from the dizziness; only dizziness doesn't make you feel nothing – even after the boy takes his sword and drives it through my heart.


	11. Possibly the Worst Mission Ever?

Hey everyone,

Gah, I'm so glad I finally got this chapter put up. . . real-life Yashiro, you're going to be so happy to finally see this chapter submitted. I guess the ending is okay, but I was kinda in a rush to finish it because it took so long to get it done! Ended up only being about halfway over 5,000 words, so not all that long either, but decent. Now, the next few chapters may get a little confusing for some, so I'll be sure to explain the gist of it when I add the A/N at the beginning - you'll see what I mean after I submit two or three chapters of this new arc. But it only really lasts for about 5 chapters, after that, everything goes back to normal (again, you'll see what I mean). I hope you all enjoy this chapter! R&R!

Uzuki Cheverie

**Time Gate: The Adult Chapters**

**Chapter 11: Possibly The Worst Mission Ever? **

The blurry, swarming colors of red, blue, and every other hue imaginable finally disappear when I open my eyes, the colors that had once all mushed together now organized into objects in front of me. The coffee table. The wall. The piano. The kitchen table. The white lounge chairs. And the very annoyed looking Uzuki standing at the end of the couch, her arms crossed. She's twiddling a toothpick in her mouth, and even though she has her dark sunglasses on, I can still see the cold fury that's raging in her eyes.

I think I liked it better when I died.

I should be dead now – I saw that monster pierce his sword into my heart, not to mention I _felt_ it too; the feeling of my skin ripping, my rips crushing, and my heart exploding, the loud screams that were being thrown out of my mouth becoming low cries of death as I died.

So why am I still alive?

Uzuki is still glaring at me, so I do the one thing that works: I glare back at her and wait for her to start talking. Sometimes she starts talking pretty fast, but sometimes you have to stare at her for a long time until she starts talking. One time we glared back and forth at each other for over an hour before she finally broke down and started yelling.

Uzuki breathes heavily, which means that she's ready to start her rant. And it begins.

"So are you going to explain what you did?" she asks me like some sort of elementary school teacher.

I carefully lift myself up so that my back is leaning on the arm of the chair, still glaring at her, and then I realize that I'm really not in a lot of pain. If they somehow managed to save me from getting killed, I should be in a lot more pain from the recovery right now – unless I've been sleeping like this for weeks and I've already gone through the worst of the recovery and I can't remember a thing, which would totally suck and confuse me a lot. Because out of all the things that I hate in this world, not being able to remember anything tops the list.

"Do I have anything to explain?" I ask, trying to act innocent. Of course, acting innocent doesn't do well in Uzuki's rants. I saw Mitsuhiro try to act innocent one time, and that sure as hell didn't help him; I think it just made Uzuki ten times more pissed off. Mitsuhiro walked out with a few missing strands of hair, a bent tooth, and a lot less dignity than he had before. Luckily he was able to grow the pulled-out hair back and he was able to get Shuto to fix his tooth, but I don't think he'll ever get his dignity as a man back.

"Hell yeah you have something to explain," Uzuki growls, her hands tightening into fists. Now I regret what I said; I guess I'm going to be coming out of this with ripped out hair, a bent tooth, and barely any dignity as a man.

"Look, first just let me say, I'm-"

Her fist smashes into my face.

"Don't you say that you're sorry!" she yells as she pulls her fist away. My nose begins to sting. She got me right in the _nose_. And you can understand that getting hit in the nose, even just getting _bumped_, hurts like hell.

"Dammit!" I cry in pain as I grab my nose, trying to prevent it from bleeding. Yashiro is strong, but Uzuki's punches are pretty good too, if you get her ticked off enough. "You really got to watch your temper, Uzuki!" I look up at her with a much more hostile glare, and I see that she's staring back at me, her eyes just as angry as before.

"Can you just tell me why you did it?" she asks me. "Tell me what happened out there! You owe me for saving your life! You're lucky I tracked you down in time!"

"H-How did you find me anyways?" I ask, still rubbing my nose from the shock of her punch.

Uzuki groans and pulls out her C.T. crystal from her jacket pocket. "Homing device, Link! You've really got to get to know your crystal better! Didn't Zelda already go over this with you?"

Yeah, she did. But I don't want to tell Uzuki that; she always puts me in spots where I have to give her the satisfaction that she's right, but not today.

"Uzuki, how am I even alive right now?" I ask. "That. . . thing back there that I fought with struck me straight through the heart! I felt everything! I _saw_ his sword go through me! So why am I still here? I'm thankful that I'm alive, but it's been bugging me ever since I woke up."

"Strike you in the heart?" Uzuki asks, her eyes changing from angry to confused. "Link, you came out with just a few cuts, burns, and bruises; there were no major wounds near your heart."

"W-What?" I ask, stunned. "But how? I saw him strike me in the heart!"

"What was the last thing he hit you with?" she asks me. "Was it a physical attack or a spell?"

"I-It was a sword attack. . . it was like one of those sonic boom attacks that Mitsuhiro uses; it struck me in the chest. I had a huge cut on my chest. . . then I got really dizzy, fell down, and then that was when he struck me."

"It may have just been an illusion to scare you," Uzuki claims. "When we found you, there wasn't even a huge cut on your chest. Just burns, cuts, and bruises."

I take my hand and place it on the spot where I had felt the blade go through. Sure enough, pressing down on it with my hand was painless, and I couldn't feel any bandages either; I was completely fine. Completely fine besides the deep burns that are placed on different spots on my body, from my arms to my legs, but fine none of the less.

I decide that I'm not going to get anywhere by just yelling at Uzuki and adding extra fire to her rant, so I take a deep breath and clear my head before asking the next question.

"Okay, so where's Zelda?" I ask.

Uzuki still looks mad, but she answers my question anyways, "She helped me get you back here, dropped off the two angel kids and then said she had something really urgent to attend to. Then she just left on her own. That girl can take way better care of herself than you seem to be able to. She's pretty strong too; she didn't even wince when I took care of her burns and cuts."

Leave it to Zelda to be so unpredictable.

"So Zelda is fine – what about Kurenai and Matsuda? Kurenai was in much worse shape than Matsuda."

"The kids are fine," Uzuki assures. "Kurenai made it through the worst of it; now she just has to make it through the recovery process. She lost a lot of blood. Matsuda is just suffering from burns, fatigue, and just overall shock; he actually has the conscious to allow the shock to affect him. The shock will settle in for Kurenai later, when she realizes what's happened. She doesn't even know where she is right now, and Matsuda is still trying to put two and two together; in other words, he still has to figure out on his own that he's in the Dark Realm with a bunch of cannibalistic Reapers."

"And you're going to let him figure that out on his own?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

"Let him just rejoice that he's been saved," Uzuki snickers. "He doesn't need to know _who_ exactly saved him yet; we'll let him figure that one out on his own – if he's smart enough, that is."

"And Kurenai? She should be smart enough to realize it."

"Oh, of course. And we'll leave it to Kurenai to decide what she should do after she and her brother both recover."

"But wait, we can't just let them out on the streets alone! They're orphans!"

"I'm thinking about that right now," Uzuki snaps, her patience growing thin. "Mitsuhiro, Shuto, Yashiro and I have been debating about what to do ever since we dragged you and them back here. You were having spasms, Kurenai was dying from blood loss, and Matsuda was crying. You can imagine my nice, relaxing evening didn't last long, as usual."

"Wait, so explain to me again: what happened to that kid? What happened to _me_?"

Uzuki sighs and sits down on the couch on top of my legs, which sends waves of pain up my spine from the burns, but she doesn't seem to care.

"Whatever that thing was, he used some sort of illusion on you, causing you to see things that weren't real, like him stabbing you through the heart and such. But that's not important right now, Link – I want to know who this boy was. Who did you fight back there that caused you to have such a breakdown? When we found you, you were screaming and thrashing about on the ground, like you had an encounter with the Fairy Tree Man or something. You had gone completely _mad_, and yet you hadn't even noticed a thing; at least, that's what I'm assuming considering you don't remember any of it."

Actually, screaming and thrashing about does ring a bell in my mind. I had a bit of a nightmare from between the time I was attacked and the time I awoke, however long I was asleep, Goddess knows. The dream is still hazy though; all I remember are the sounds of the screams and the white, round orbs that resembled eyes that were staring at me constantly.

"So what are we going to do about Kurenai and Matsuda?" I ask after taking a deep breath and wiping the image of my nightmare from my thoughts. "Where are they?"

"Kurenai is sleeping in my room," Uzuki answers, "and Matsuda is in Shuto's. Shuto is taking care of them. It's been two days since we found you, you know. You spent most of the time screaming your lungs out. You must have been having some horrible nightmares."

Yeah, nightmares that I'm going to have to think about, remember, and then scream about later when I'm locked in my room and in the fetal position in the corner of my room.

"So, Zelda is probably back in Hyrule, right?" I ask.

"Most likely. She seemed really anxious to leave. She asked me if you and the kids were going to be alright, and then she got a call on the C.T. Crystal you gave her. She seemed really cautious of people overhearing though, and walked off into another room for the conversation. I didn't bother listening in; I didn't think it was anything worth worrying about. After that, she said she had something urgent to attend to, and then she left off in a hurry. I read her aura as she left – gotta say she has a strange one – and she seemed fine. And I doubt Zelda knows how to alter her aura; she may not even know about auras herself."

_So Zelda is acting her normal, crazy self,_ I think.

"But her aura _did_ frighten me a little," Uzuki continues. "It's not an aura that a person like her should have. Have you ever taken the time to look at it Link?"

"N-No, I never did," I mutter. "I never really figured I had to."

"Look at it the next time you see her, if you remember," Uzuki says. "That girl is up to something; something bad. You'd better watch your back the next time you're around her, Link. I hate to say this, but I don't trust her."

"Don't get yourself too worried over it," I tell her. "We'll see what she decides to do next; I'll keep a close eye on her."

"You'd better," Uzuki snickers.

"Come on, she's the princess of Hyrule!" I laugh. "How could she possibly find the time to do suspicious stuff?"

* * *

**A Short Interlude**

"So, the fairy has two angel kids in his group now, huh?" Makoto says as he jabs a knife into the kitchen table. He takes a bite from the freshly picked apple that's laying in his hand. "Interesting," he says after he swallows.

"I already told you that," Zero growls from her seat across from him at the table. "Over. And over. Again. And it's been _two days_ now since then."

"Sorry, I just need to sort out everything in my head right now," Makoto sighs. "There's a lot of stuff going through my mind – our next mission, missions that we need to get finished, the situation with the Time Keepers, not to mention the big problem that just arose in Hyrule over the past few days."

Zero's eyes shift to the second as if trying to remember something, and then she blinks in realization. "Oh yeah, what's the situation on that, anyways?" she asks. "There's a price for being popular, huh?"  
"I'm not going through with a mission as stupid as that one," Makoto growls. "I have a reputation to keep."

"What reputation? You're a midget who's obsessed with knives and guns, not to mention that you don't exist according to the Hyrulean government. You have no reputation to hold at all. I think you're lucky – do you know how frigging hard it is to hold a perfect reputation as the Princess of Hyrule when you're also an Assassin? It sure as hell isn't easy!"

"Ooh, watch the temper, Princess," Makoto teases. "I might have to report you to Mimi."

Zero snickers, a smile growing on her face as she grabs the knife that Makoto had jabbed into the table just minutes earlier. She holds the knife between her two index fingers, the point just lightly pressing into her skin so that it doesn't pierce her finger. She stares at Makoto with a smile on her face.

"You know, I'm so _bored_ today," Zero mutters. "I feel like cutting someone up."

Makoto rolls his eyes. "Why you gotta be like that?" he growls. "I have enemies, yes, but must you cut me up?" He lashes his arm out in front of Zero, and six knives fling out from underneath his sleeve, all the points aimed at Zero.

"I outnumber you six to one," Makoto laughs.

Zero laughs and puts the knife in her hand down, and Makoto withdraws the knives that are attached to his arm. Zero crosses her arms and leans back into her chair, placing her feet up on the table, to the left from Makoto so that she can still see his face and he can still see her. Then she crosses her arms behind her head and sighs.

"I really am bored," she mutters. "What do you want to do today, Makoto? Everyone else is out on missions, and I don't want to work today."

"Why do you always complain to me about this kind of crap?" Makoto sighs, placing his chin in his hands as he leans on his elbows on the tables. "If you want something to do, you'll have to come up with something on your own time."

"We could throw knives at each other."

"Nah, I'm still healing from the _last_ game of knife throwing," Makoto grumbles, scratching at the healing knife wound on his right arm.

"Play a prank on Taishou?"

"Too risky. He nearly squashed me like a bug the last time I slipped sour milk into his milk carton. He's got to learn how to drink from a glass. He's too much like his sister."

"You _are_ a bug, Makoto-kun," Zero mumbles with a smile. "A funny, annoying, nerdy, tiny little bug."

"Ouch, I almost felt offended by that," Makoto says as he leans back into his own chair. "I guess I have to find something for you to do now, otherwise you'll just be sitting here insulting me for the rest of the day."

"Good," Zero replies, "because I just thought of something fun."

"And what would that be?"

Zero pulls out the C.T. crystal from her back pocket and sets it on the table, a wide smile crossing her face.

"Why don't we play a little game with our pets, the Time Keepers?" Zero suggests.

"So now they're our pets, is that it?" Makoto laughs as he leans forward and grabs the crystal, and then leans back in his seat again. "Alrighty then. What kind of game are you suggesting?"

"Let's give them some work to do," Zero explains. "We don't want to do that shitty excuse of a mission that the Hyrule Academy gave us, correct?"

"No," Makoto agrees. "Last thing I want to do is go back to high school. I'm happy with my stress-free life as it is."

"Then we're on the same page. Why don't we pass the mission on to someone else? Say, several Reapers and a fairy boy?"

Makoto smiles. "I like where this is going. Please, continue." He gestures for her to continue with a wave of his hand.

"We would get a lot of rewards out of this," Zero continues. "Getting rid of the pests from the Dark Realm that are messing with Hyrule; getting to sit at home while watching someone _else_ take care of the mission for us; and of course, getting to watch those Time Keepers squirm when they see what they have to do." Zero holds her hand out to Makoto.

"Well?" she asks. "What do you say? Are you in?"

Makoto gives Zero a high-five. "Sounds like fun. Should we tell the others?"

"No fun in watching a drama on our own, right?" Zero snickers. "Let's get the whole group to watch what happens – we may get a few giggles in."

Makoto smiles at her, and activates the C.T. crystal, setting it on the table, and then swipes out a deck of cards from his back pocket.

"Shall we?" Zero asks. "Poker or Old Maid?"

"Old Maid," Makoto says. He rips out a single card – a Joker card – from the deck without disturbing the deck's stance on the table. "I'll take the Joker to start."

Then he types in the number for the Time Keepers on the crystal.

* * *

**Chapter 11 (continued)**

All I wanted to do was sleep for a couple hours. It couldn't be too much to ask. I had to catch up on my sleep, just so I wouldn't collapse from exhaustion later when my fatigue really caught up with me. But no, instead I sleep for maybe ten minutes, and then my damn C.T. crystal goes off like a siren. I let out a groan and grab the crystal from around my neck, lifting it up to my eye level and tapping it with my thumb to activate it.

And guess who appears on the screen?

My lovely friend, Zero.

"Zero?" I exclaim. "What the hell are you doing with a C.T. crystal? No, never mind that, how did you contact me?"

"Oh, always worrying about the details," Zero sighs as she buffs her fingernails on the front of her jacket. "Things have been so dull around here, so Makoto and I thought we'd play a little game with you."  
Makoto. That little punk who tried to shoot me in the head.

"What do you want?" I ask.

"Like I said, things have been extremely boring, and I'm sick of it," she continues. "So Makoto and I have thought up a little game."

"What?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

"We got the worst mission possible the other day, and we _really_ don't want to do it. So we thought that it would be a better idea to pass the mission off to you and your band of Time Keepers."

_I don't like the sound of this, Link,_ Dex tells me.

_I know. She's up to something. She and all her other Assassins,_ I reply.

"So, you up for our game?" Zero challenges. "I don't think you would be able to resist."

I sigh and decide to go along with her little charade. "Alright, I'll bite. What's the mission?"

* * *

**A Short Interlude**

Uzuki drags the mascara brush up her eyelashes, her sunglasses resting on her forehead, off her eyes for the first time in days. She puts the brush back into the bottle, and then stares at her eyelashes in the mirrow, critiquing her work.

"Goddess Din, I hate my eyelashes," she sighs to herself. "Too short. . ." But that explains why she had been using mascara. Then she looks at her hair, bits of it sticking out at the sides. She grabs her comb and brushes it back underneath her Time Keeper headband, hiding them from sight.

Uzuki hears a knock at her door. She pulls her sunglasses back over her eyes before saying, "Come in."

Shuto and Yashiro enter the room.

"Oh, you two," she says, setting the comb down on the vanity desk. "What is it?"

"I think Link is broken," Yashiro snickers.

Uzuki raises her eyebrow at them in wonder. Then she smiles. "Of course he's broken, he's eighteen and he hasn't even kissed a girl yet."

Shuto tries to stifle a laugh.

"Seriously, what's wrong?" Uzuki asks again.

"Well, I went to check up on him," Shuto begins, "and I found him laying face flat on the kitchen floor muttering curse words to himself."

Uzuki sighs and then heads for the door, ushering Shuto and Yashiro out, following them from behind into the kitchen, where, sure enough, Link was laying on his face, making strange muffling sounds that were associated with words.

"Link?" Uzuki asks. He doesn't reply, just continues to mumble curse words to himself. She nudges him with her foot. "Li-nk?" she repeats. "You okay?"

"No. No, I'm not alright," he says after lifting his head so that his chin is resting on the floor. "This has been the shittiest day on the planet, and I can tell that no one gives a shit about what I have to rant about."

"Go ahead, start ranting. Mitsuhiro's rants are a lot worse – I think I can live," Uzuki snickers.

"Frig you," Link hisses.

"You're gonna have to do better than that," Uzuki laughs.

"You're a piece of shit, you know that?" Link growls, looking up at her with a hostile look.

Uzuki crosses her arms. "Just tell me what's on your mind, Link, and quit insulting me!"

Link sighs. "We got a mission. A shitty mission. Like, the shittiest mission in shit-town."

"Get Mitsuhiro out here. And Kon too. He's gonna want to hear this."

Uzuki sighs, and then yells loudly, "Kon! Mitsuhiro! Get out here now!"

And then the boys are immediately there, ready to hear Link's rant.

* * *

**Chapter 11 (continued)**

So I explain everything to them. The Assassins calling me on the C.T. crystal, and the sick game that they wanted me to play with them, not to mention the mission that gave me to start it off. And when I'm done explaining, Yashiro is laughing her ass off like it's no big deal, Kon is laying on the floor the same way I had been a few moments ago, except without the profanity, Mitsuhiro is looking down at his feet like he always does when he's pissed off, although I can somewhat tell that he's trying hard not to smile, and Uzuki looks like she could smash the vodka cooler bottle in her hand at any second (which, I forgot to mention, she does indeed drink the stuff without getting drunk, and she had gotten a bottle shortly before I started explaining – the fact that she drinks loads of the stuff and doesn't get drunk scares me drastically).

"They want us to do something like _that_?" Yashiro snort loudly, trying to hold back her laughter, but it just keeps coming.

"It's not funny, Yashiro, it's _insulting_," Uzuki growls. "Not to mention _bad_, because it will expose us!"

Yashiro tries to stop laughing, but she can't.

"Yashiro, _shut up_," Mitsuhiro growls, and glares at her. His glare makes her stop laughing. Because everyone who's anyone around here knows that when Mitsuhiro gets angry and glares at you, you'd better lay off and be quiet. Yashiro is suddenly silent, and she apologizes quietly under her breath.

"I don't like it either," I growl. "Breaking into the Hyrule Academy just to try and find suspicious people? It's idiotic, not to mention a waste of time. The Society hasn't done anything over the past three years – why would they come back and start at the Academy? They're not that stupid."

"I agree with Link," Mitsuhiro says. "It's not something that we're fit for doing; not to mention that it's so stupid that it would be a waste of our time."

"I agree as well," Shuto joins in.

"Wait, we gotta think about this guys," Uzuki cuts in, stopping us. "They said that there was a disturbance down at the Hyrule Academy, right? Students disappearing? Chances are, it really is the Society. And we promised to keep Hyrule safe, as the Time Keepers, right? So what's the point of our promise if we won't even take on missions like this?"

We're all silent.

"I don't want to do it either, but do we really have any choice in the end?" Uzuki continues. She takes a sip from her vodka cooler before continuing. "We don't need students getting picked off one by one, not like how Yashiro, Mitsuhiro, Shuto and I did back when we were alive – we all died at once, a lot like how things are apparently going on now."

"They didn't say anyone died," Shuto objects. "They're just disappearing."

"But disappearing is bad enough!" Uzuki argues. "Because you know what happens to humans that get taken away to the Society? They either get turned into Reapers as soldiers, or they're put into one of the Society's crazy experiments. And I doubt any of those students would want to be either one of those things."

Mitsuhiro suddenly gets a grim look on his face. Then he looks at Uzuki. And then at me.

"Just. . . do what you want to do then," he says quietly. "Don't let those kids become experiments either way. . . I'm going to bed now. Wake me when you've come to a decision." And then he walks off without saying another word.

"Whoa, did Mitsuhiro look _pale_ just now?" I ask, stunned by the look that he had on his face.

Uzuki scowls at me. I guess she got the albino joke.

"You heard him," Yashiro sighs. "I guess it's up to us to decide, or rather, up to _you_, Mr. Leader."

I lean back into my chair, crossing my arms and my feet, thinking over the mission at hand. The basic gist of the mission is that we have to break into the Academy and hide amongst the students to investigate the disappearances closer, which basically means we have to attend the school itself. Because we're in the Realm of Light however, and all of us are recommended to go, the Reapers will have to switch into their human forms, which will in turn make them vulnerable to danger, taking into account the fact that they can't use any of their Reaper abilities when they're in their human bodies. There are no known ways to live in the Realm of Light while staying in Reaper form, unless you go at nighttime, which would be completely useless because we're attending school during the day time – so we really have no choice but to force the Reapers' Souls back into their human bodies again. I don't know the specifics of our transmuting Souls back into human bodies works, especially considering their bodies were buried after death – that's still something that I have to ask them.

"Uzuki, you have to be in your human body to interact with the Realm of Light, correct?" I ask her.

"That's right," she replies. "If we're in our Reaper bodies and in the Realm of Light at the same time, our bodies get overrun with light, and we die. At least, that's what I've heard from the Reapers who have had their friends wander off to the Realm of Light. Although, you don't die immediately. Some have managed to come back, but only those that knew where the Mirror was. The light basically just sucks out our powers, weakening us. And if you stay vulnerable like that long enough, you die."

"So how does it work, switching to your human bodies? Weren't you all buried afterwards?"

"We were," Uzuki says with a nod, "but when the Society turns us into Reapers, they create human bodies for us that look exactly like our old ones. We can access these bodies at any time, whenever the need arises to go to the Realm of Light."

"When would you need to go there?"

"Say we have to erase someone, but we always have a hard time tracking this person down. So we turn into humans, find out where they live, spy on their daily routine for a little while, and then kill them."

"Killing specific humans?" I'm just getting curious by the second. "When would you ever need to do that?"

Uzuki looks at me, her face grim like Mitsuhiro's had been just a few minutes ago.

"Like you, Link," she says. "People who show signs of rebellion against the Society, or people that look like they could destroy the Society are immediately targeted, and are chased after. Me and the rest of us were assigned to kill you, but we just couldn't do it – so we turned against the Society, left them behind, watched you for a bit to see why you were such a threat, which were things that we pretty much already knew, and then we came to you on the night of the carnival."

I'm silent for a minute to take it all in. Although, it doesn't really surprise me – the Reapers watching me. They wouldn't just find me one day and decide to basically abduct me the next. There was careful planning in what they did.

"So, as long as you're in your Reaper bodies, you can move around and interact in the Realm of Light, right?" I ask.

"Right. We can stay in the bodies as long as we want – also, any damage that is inflicted on us during the time we're in our human forms is inflicted only on our human bodies and not on our Reaper ones. However, it's recommended that we keep our human bodies in good shape. You can get a second body created in case you end up destroying the first one, but you have to get the Society to do it for you, which we can't really do because they're out to kill us. So the body we have now is the only one we'll ever have – we have to take care of it as much as possible."

"Are your bodies still in good condition?" I ask.

"They're basically brand new," Uzuki snickers. "We've really only used our bodies a couple times since becoming Reapers – and we never did much in them either, so they're in mint condition. Why? Are you thinking of accepting this mission?"

I stare at her for a moment, and a smile grows on my face.

"You can't be frigging serious," Yashiro says.

"Link?" Shuto asks nervously.

I stand up from my chair and swing my jacket over my shoulder.

"You're actually going to go through with it?" Yashiro asks in surprise, her face going pale. "You can't be serious! I don't want to waste my time on a mission like this!"

"Get out your human bodies, girls," I mutter. "We're taking the mission."

Next thing you know, Yashiro's nose bursts out in blood and she faints.


	12. First Day, Horrible Start

Hey everyone,

Wow, this is a very long chapter. . . and the next four are going to be just as long too, probably O.o Oh well, at least I have a good excuse for taking a long time to finish them! There are a few odd references that are marked with asterisks (*) in this chapter that I will make note of at the end. Also, this is the beginning of the High School Arc! Some people may find it stupid and it may seem like it doesn't need to be here, but a lot of things are revealed in this arc that affect the story later on! Also, I dedicate this arc to the real life Yashiro-chan, who's been very excited and waiting for this arc for maybe about a year and a half now :) You'd all better enjoy this chapter! :D And you definitely HAVE to review! If you don't, Uzuki will yell at me and I'll be sad :'( (because she's always such a downer. . .)

Uzuki Cheverie

**Time Gate: The Adult Chapters**

**Chapter 12: First Day, Horrible Start**

_8:00 a.m._

_Tuesday Morning_

_Day 1_

"I feel like a nerd."

"Well, you should have known this would happen by accepting this mission. You can wear what you want at the Academy, but it has to be sensible."

"And a tunic isn't sensible?"

"If you want to get mugged and laughed at, then yes. But we're trying to keep a low profile here, so you can't wear anything that's so showy like a tunic."

I sigh as I secure the last button on the loose green plaid shirt, and then I adjust the collar.

"You know, tunics aren't that showy," I growl. "They're good for camouflage, especially in the woods."

"Link, it's a dress," Uzuki growls. "I'm sorry for being so mean about it, but it's true – you need to wear something different besides the dress once in a while."

"How many times do I have to tell you it's not a dress?" I yell. "It's not! It's a tunic! There is a major difference between a dress and a tunic!"

"Not to everyone that sees you at first glance," Uzuki mumbles, several needles held between her teeth as she rolls up my sleeves. She grabs a comb and brushes my hair back, making it look spikier than usual – half the reason it's so out of place is because I also can't wear my hat, which really makes me feel sad. My head feels so empty without my hat.

"What about you?" I ask. "You're going to change into your human form when we get to the Realm of Light, right?"

"Duh," she scoffs. "What else could I possibly do?"

"Ditch me and make me do the mission myself."

Uzuki laughs. "I'm kind of looking forward to this mission though – I would be too bored just lazing around here while you guys are going to school."

_You sound like an old lady,_ I think, wanting to say it but not wanting to get hit on the head or kicked in any unnecessary places.

_Still as motherly as ever_, Dex snickers back.

"What about Yashiro?" I ask. "She woke up the other day, but then she just passed out again when she realized that what we're doing isn't a nightmare, that it's real. And this time she spit the blood up from her mouth, not her nose. That can't be healthy."

"Well, I cleaned up the blood from her face and stuffed some tissues up her nose for good measure," Uzuki mutters. "She's sleeping on the couch, and I don't think she'll wake up in time for her to get ready. I'll just turn her into her human form myself – I'm sure she won't mind."

"No, you'll just get punched in the face a couple times," I snicker as I adjust the collars on my rolled up sleeves.

Uzuki steps back to look at my outfit.

"Great, you look just like a high school student," she says with a smile. "You know, with your blond hair and muscular figure, you look like Tasuku Kurosaki-kun*. . ."

". . . Who?"

Uzuki laughs. "Nothing, nothing."

Something tells me that comment was meant for girls only.

"Okay, are you done meddling with my hair and stuff?" I ask with a sigh.

Uzuki examines me for a minute, and then starts playing around with my bangs. She moves them to the left first, then the right, and then the left again, backing up to examine her work each time.

When she reaches for my bangs for the fourth time, I finally explode.

"Uzuki, piss off, would you?" I growl. "My hair is fine! You're just messing it up even more!"

Uzuki laughs and keeps trying to get my hair right, but I fend her off when I start swatting at her.

"I said piss off!" I yell. "I swear to Goddess Farore, you can be the most annoying person on the planet!"

Uzuki stares at me for a minute, a smile on her face. "Sorry, I just can't help it, and you know that."

"You're too motherly!"

"Sorry, that's just the way I raised myself," she says quietly, and then shakes her head. "Are you ready? We can leave any time. Just remember, you can't leave at any time during the day between nine and three, so you have to make sure you have _everything_ you need. And you can't leave after school either because we need to take our time in Hyrule to investigate any suspicious things, like Reapers."

"School bag, paper, pencil. . ." I mutter. "Dignity. I think I'm as ready as I'll ever be."

"Just remember – don't do anything stupid," Uzuki says.

"Gee, that sure is reassuring."

"Don't worry about it," Uzuki snickers.

"Okay, so first you tell me not to do anything stupid, and then you tell me not to worry about it? You're just making me worry even more!"

Uzuki laughs, and then playfully punches my shoulder.

"Who knows, you may have fun," she says.

* * *

So far, I am _not_ having fun.

Being the 'new student', as Uzuki explained to me earlier, has a million downsides.

In the first five minutes at my new school, some idiot has already thrown a basketball at the back of my head. When I look back to see who did it, I just see a ton of students walking by, so I can't tell who did it.

"Welcome to the bottom of the food chain," Uzuki sighs, patting my shoulder. She's in her human form, as are the rest of the Reapers. I gotta say, Uzuki looks really different in her human form, in a way that I can't really explain because I don't know what the word would be. She's much shorter, shorter than me, with light brown hair that has a few single dark strands to it, and even her skin is a bit lighter; it looks more like a tan than a skin color. The scar is still on the right side of her face, but it looks much bigger than before – I asked Uzuki why, but she was completely clueless. When I look at her outfit, I feel like she had a lot more freedom of choice for her wardrobe than I did. She's wearing a black tank-top and the same pair of shorts she wears in her Reaper form. A necklace with small black stones is wound around her neck, and she's wearing bandages on her feet, as usual. The fact that she can get away with wearing bandages and not shoes in the school surprises me, but I think it's just because she hasn't gotten caught yet.

"Bottom of the food chain?" I ask curiously. "Uh, what do you mean by that?"

"What I mean is that you're at the bottom of the popular student's list," she explains. "Or rather to say, you're dirt. To the higher ranked students that is."

"Dirt? Gee, that sounds nice."

"Eh, being dirt isn't all that bad," Shuto says, placing an arm on my shoulder. "Look at me – I'm a band geek, a math genius, and I'm studying to be a doctor. You can't get any worse than me. I'm also a four-eyes." He taps the side of his rectangular-shaped glasses.

Shuto with glasses – can't say I've ever imagined what that would look like. I think Shuto is the one that's changed the most drastically. Instead of short, spiky black hair, it's long and blond, so blond that it looks a little white in the sunlight – and it's so long that it goes down past his shoulder blades, almost halfway down his back. He wears rectangular glasses over his green eyes, and a sort of lab coat-style jacket that's secured with multiple buckles in the front. Then he's just wearing jeans and sandals for everything else.

"Where's Mitsuhiro and Yashiro?" I ask. "Has he gotten her out here yet?"

"Nah, she's probably still fighting with him," Shuto snickers, adjusting his glasses. "She really likes to struggle. . ." He continues to mumble something under his breath that's almost completely inaudible. I hear the words "lovely" and "pretty" and "amazing" pass between his words.

"Shuto?" I ask, giving him a strange look.

A shocked look crosses his face and he starts to blush almost immediately. Then he makes fanning motions with his hand as if to cool himself down. "N-No, it's nothing! Nothing at all! Forget I even said anything!"

I stare at him for a brief moment, trying to decipher his face, but I decide it's not worth knowing and I turn back around to face the approaching classroom. Unfortunately, I'm all on my own for the first class – Hylian. Uzuki is taking Math with Mitsuhiro, and Yashiro and Shuto are taking History; which means I'm all on my own for the first class. And something in my gut is telling me that without any of the Reapers, my first class is going to drive me to the deepest pits of hell.

I look around us, and I realize that Mitsuhiro and Yashiro still haven't appeared.

"What is taking those two so dang long?" I sigh, scratching my head. Uzuki groans and rubs her forehead with her index finger and thumb, the way that she tries to cease headaches that she usually gets from Yashiro and the things that she does.

"Just give me a second to find them," she groans as she spins around on her heel and heads in the other direction, disappearing around the corner. A few seconds later, she reappears, pulling on Mitsuhiro's arm quite violently, who, after being pulled out a little more from behind the corner, is holding onto and actually _dragging_ Yashiro.

"Let go of me, you buttface!" Yashiro screams. Uzuki continues to pull on Mitsuhiro. He continues to pull on Yashiro. And Yashiro continues to struggle against him. So poor Mitsuhiro is basically getting pulled apart by the two girls. What I'm really confused about right now is that Mitsuhiro doesn't look any different in his human form than he did in his Reaper form. As I examine him, I try to find small differences that may prove that his two bodies are different, but there's nothing when it comes down to it. The only difference is that he has his hair pulled back into a small ponytail, but that's normal for him to do when he's in public. I figured that maybe his height would be a little different, but he still appears to be the same height as usual – tall for a tall guy (taller than me, but not taller than that hippy looking guy from the Assassins) and bony.

Yashiro starts to kick and flail her free arm around, trying to knock away Mitsuhiro's hold on her. His grip on her is tight though, and Uzuki's grip on him is just as locked as his, and they soon manage to pull Yashiro out and stand her up. Uzuki holds onto one of her arms and Mitsuhiro holds onto the other, to prevent her from making an escape.

"I said, let me go!" Yashiro screams again, this time louder than before.

"Yashiro, just drop it already," Uzuki growls. "We're here now, so there's no point in fighting it. You're stuck on this mission – there's nothing you can do about it. So stop complaining."

Yashiro struggles even more, probably so that she can punch Uzuki in the face, but both her and Mitsuhiro have too tight a grip on her for her to accomplish any form of violence.

"I don't see what you're so freaked out about," I sigh. "It's not like you're the only one that has to put up with this crap. Do you think I like being in this getup? Shut it."

"Geez, way to be pissy," Yashiro grumbles as Uzuki and Mitsuhiro release her arms.

I glare at her, and bend down in front of her, our eyes meeting, and a sinister expression on my face.

"Do you _want_ me to get pissy?" I challenge in a low growl. "Don't provoke me. Stop complaining."

Yashiro frowns at me, and then stands next to Uzuki. She doesn't say another word.

"Shuto, have you worked out the schedule yet?" Mitsuhiro asks.

Shuto hands each of us a piece of paper with a confusing looking chart drawn on it. "Your schedules," he tells us. "You'd better learn how to read it before class starts."

I tilt my head at it and try to decipher the letters and numbers. "Help me," I sigh.

Uzuki takes the schedule and points at different parts of the schedule. "There are four blocks during the day, alright? 'A' Block, 'B' Block, 'C' Block, and 'D' Block. 'A' and 'B' are in the same order each day, but 'C' and 'D' are switched each day."

"O-Okay. . ." I say slowly, nodding my head, trying to figure it out.

Uzuki moves her finger to the left side of the page, where a bunch of different times are written. "This is the time of each class you have. You don't really need to worry about the second one in each Block, because you always have double classes – the only ones that need to worry about it are junior high students, who may have two different classes in one Block. For example, at eight forty-five – you're morning class – you have Hylian. After that, in 'B' Block – the Block before lunch – you have History. Next is Gym, in 'C' Block. And then finally, you have Geography in 'D' Block. You have a break between each Block: One between 'A' and 'B', then the lunch break after 'B', and then one break between 'C' and 'D'. Each break besides lunch is about ten minutes."

I stare at the paper for a few minutes, allowing the words that she said to reach my brain, and then I nod. "Alright, I think I get it."

"Are you sure?" Uzuki asks me in a very clear tone, as if she's teasing me about my intake of information. She raises an eyebrow at me as she looks me straight in the eye.

"Yeah, I'm sure," I sigh. "If I need help, I'll ask you." Uzuki hands the schedule back to me. Now I know that I'm on my own until the break, which is after. . . 'A' Block?

_She said there's a break after 'A' block, right, Dex? _I ask him, figuring that he paid more attention than I did.

_What? What are you talking about?_ Dex asks, confused. It's clear that he was definitely not paying attention at all. He probably doesn't even know I'm on this mission right now. Yep, I am definitely on my own for this one.

I look around at the rest of the group, and after peering over each and every one of their shoulders, I suddenly realize that nobody else has the same class in the morning as I do. Uzuki and Mitsuhiro are together in Math, and then Yashiro and Shuto are together in History. Figures I'd be the one left all alone for the very first class that I've _ever_ gone to in my life.

Mitsuhiro gives me a pat on the shoulder. "Don't worry, bud, you'll live. Hylian class is simple – just pay attention, answer the questions if you know them, and read out loud if the teacher asks you to."

"I have to _read_?" I say in a panic. Oh, don't get me wrong, I know how to read, but I don't like speaking in front of a large crowd of people. Uzuki says I have very moving words, but when I think back on it, any time I've said anything close to moving is when I've had my life threatened and my adrenaline at the max. Reading in front of a bunch of people though. . . holy shit.

Mitsuhiro snickers and shakes my shoulder slightly in encouragement after patting it again. "You'll live. Wait till Math class – then you'll officially be in hell."

I look at my schedule, but I see that I don't have Math anywhere.

"Mitsuhiro, I don't have Math class. I have Hylian, History, Gym, and Geography."

Mitsuhiro stares grimly at me for a second, and then walks away down the hallway, leaving us behind and heading for his own classroom. I hear him mutter the words 'dick' and 'asshole' as he walks away.

"Don't mind him - he's always hated math," Shuto laughs. He turns his attention to Yashiro. "We have History together, right?"

"Don't make me regret coming here even more," Yashiro grumbles as she slings her bag over her shoulder. Then she walks away as well, heading in a different direction than Mitsuhiro.

Shuto sighs. I don't know if it's just me or the lighting, but it almost appears that Shuto is _blushing_.

"Shuto, you alright?" I ask. "You look a little red. And not in a sick kind of way."

Shuto immediately turns back to his original color as he perks his head back up again, and smiles. "Nothing! Nothing at all!" He readjusts his glasses and waves goodbye as he heads off to the same classroom as Yashiro.

Uzuki gives me a pat on the shoulder, much like Mitsuhiro had done.

"Good luck out there, kiddo," she says with a smile. "Just watch out for the dogs."

I raise my eyebrow. I know she's using some metaphor to confuse me. "Dogs?" I ask with a small smile back.

"You'll see what I mean when your class starts," she snickers as she walks away like the others, leaving me by myself.

By myself.

_Shit!_ I scold myself. _I forgot to ask her where my classroom is!_

_Idiot,_ Dex growls at me. _Just ask someone._

I stand there, silent, for just a minute. Then I sigh.

_But that's embarrassing!_ I finally admit.

_Embarrassment never killed anyone! Just standing there doing nothing makes you look stupid enough anyways!_

I sigh again, getting more stressed and more annoyed by the minute. So I walk around, and examine people's auras with the limited amount of ability I have to do so. I scan the area, trying to find anyone decent enough to ask - but as far as I can tell, no one's even close to being approachable and friendly. Eventually, I give up and decide to just grab some random person from the hallway. The first person I spot after making the decision is a middle-height girl who looks around my age. Her black hair is dyed with purple streaks and pulled into several long pigtails, which takes me by surprise, but I decide to approach her anyways. She's packing a bunch of binders and textbooks into her locker and trying to decide which ones to take with her. Half of the textbooks, from what I can tell, don't even look like school textbooks at all, but rather those old sorcery books you'd find in an abandoned library.

"Excuse me, miss," I call as I tap her on the shoulder. She turns quickly, whacking me in the face with one of her oversized pigtails. I stand there, struck dumb for a few seconds from the impact, but I soon shake it off and greet her with a smile. "Would you happen to know where the Hylian classroom is?" I ask her politely.

She tilts her head. "Which Hylian classroom?"

"Uh. . . there are more than one?"

"Yes! There's the Hylian 'A' class-"

"-and the Hylian 'BEEEE' class!" shouts a boy, who unexpectedly sticks his head out from her locker, upside down. All the books come toppling out. He's got a crazy look in his eye, like he drank too much coffee and is suffering from too much caffeine. His hair is short, spiky, and white, and the pupils in his eyes are very small and shrunken – which doesn't help too much with the 'too much coffee' theory.

"Yes, two classes, exactly!" the girl declares again, holding up two fingers. " 'A' is just regular Hylian – the basis of all Hylian studies. Hylian 'B' is-"

"-all that writing and grammar shit that nobody cares about!" the boy laughs maniacally as he does a backwards somersault out of her locker and rolls up towards me, still facing towards the locker as he tilts his head back the same way as before.

"I'm Yuuki," the girl says with a smile.

"And I'm. . .!" the boy begins, but trails off, as if he's forgotten. ". . . uh. . ."

". . . Vincent," Yuuki says, correcting him.

"Y-Yeah, Vincent! That's my name! Vincent! Vincent, Vincent!"

"Uh, pleased to meet you," I reply, caught off guard by the boy's sudden stupidity. "I'm Link. I'm new here."

"I can tell. You don't look like you're from around here. Foreigner? Home schooled? Emo person who locks themselves up in their houses all day without even looking at the sunshine?" Yuuki asks.

"Haha, emo, emo!" Vincent laughs again as he twirls in a circle on his butt on the floor.

I try to ignore Vincent's random comments, and keep my eyes on Yuuki. "How should I know which Hylian class I'm in?"

Yuuki holds her hand out. "Let me see your schedule." I hand it to her, and she scans over it quickly. "Ah, you're in Hylian 'A'. Lucky for you, Vincent and I are in the same class. We can just take you there ourselves!" She smiles as she gives me back my schedule.

"Oh, great," I say. _Hanging out with Yuuki – guess it won't be too bad. Hanging out with Vincent – as long as he doesn't do anything too creepy, I'm fine. _

"Now, if Zelda would just show up, we could get moving!" Yuuki exclaims.

I suddenly lose my smile. And I suddenly lose my confidence as well. In fact, I feel like the entire world slows down, and I can feel my entire being sink down into total depression and shock.

"Z-Zelda?" I ask. "Did. . . did you just say _Zelda_?"

Yuuki nods. "Our best friend, Zelda!"

"Princess of-" Vincent begins, but Yuuki kicks him before he can say anything more.

"Our _best friend, Zelda_," Yuuki corrects, her eyes narrowing. "Who is a _perfectly normal Hyrule girl_." She says the end of the last sentence through gritted teeth as she glares at Vincent.

"She is?" Vincent asks, holding his hands up in curiosity like a confused little kid. "But I thought she was-"

Yuuki kicks him again. Vincent cries out.

"What a girlfriend you are, abusing your own boyfriend!" Vincent sighs as he stands up and brushes off his jeans.

_Ohh. . . so they're dating too? That makes perfect sense to me now!_

_Why? _Dex asks me.

_Because they're both crazy!  
_

Then I see her. Sure enough, it's not a person with the same name, but indeed, the one and only Princess Zelda. And she looks. . . like she could pass off for your average, normal teenager. A white collar shirt with rolled up sleeves, a black skirt and long black socks that go up to her knees, and finally shiny black shoes to finish the outfit. Totally professional. And totally Zelda. She's reading a sheet of paper, which I assume is her schedule. Even as she stops next to Yuuki and Vincent, she continues to look at her paper, not even bothering to check if she's standing next to the right people or not.

"Hey guys, sorry I'm late," she says in a very bored-sounding tone. "I had to get my next assignment and-" She stops dead-cold when she finally looks up and sees me. After processing my face in an instant, she stares at me as she folds up the paper, which appears to have been folded up several times before, and stuffs it into her bag pocket. And she continues to stare at me as she takes the bag off her shoulder, and sets it onto the floor. All three of us, myself, Yuuki, and Vincent, are watching her to see what she does next.

And what she does next just pisses me off even more.

She stands there, and folds her arms, a smile crossing her face, as if she's actually pleased to see me.

"Zelda, I-" I begin, but before I can say anything else, she punches me straight across the face, knocking me onto the floor. She glares down at me, a frown on her face, as she cracks the knuckles that she punched me with.

"You asshole!" Zelda hisses. "What the hell are you doing here?"

I rub my face from where she punched me. If there's one thing about Zelda that I didn't know before, but know now, is that she sure can pack a punch for such a fragile-looking girl. I stand back up, still rubbing the spot on my face.

"Look, I understand you're angry, but I had to come here!" I object.

"Don't act like you're proud of it, dick-wad!" she growls as she comes up and kicks me right in the stomach, just above the belt, but still way too close for comfort. I fall onto the floor in a hunched position, taking my hand away from my face so I can use them both to hold my stomach.

I look up from my place on the floor to see Yuuki and Vincent staring down at me in surprise, and Zelda continuing to glare, crossing her arms again.

"Hey! That's physical abuse on men!" Vincent exclaims. ". . . that means they're dating, right?"

Zelda turns to Vincent, and whacks him over the head. "What the hell is wrong with you? I'm not _dating_ this idiot!"

"Hey, you're not dating me, so don't hit me!" Vincent cries out as he rubs his head from where she hit him.

"Zelda, is this the no-good backstabber who never talked to you for like, five years?" Yuuki asks her. I immediately look up, surprised by that last statement. Ouch. I am so loved.

"Yes, it is, actually," Zelda replies, being sure to glare at me even more so that I know she's talking about me. Double ouch.

"Ugh, can you believe the nerve of this ass?" Yuuki grumbles as she stomps her foot into the ground and even digs her toe into the brick floor. "It's no wonder he doesn't have a girlfriend!"

Oh, wow. Now _that's_ something that pierces the heart a little.

I carefully stand up, wincing from the remaining burning feeling that her foot left behind on my stomach. I keep my hands ready, just in case she decides to attack me again. I get the feeling that she wants to hit me again, but the bell rings before she gets a chance to.

Zelda looks up at the ceiling, and sighs. "Fine, we'll settle this later. Where are you headed?"

"H-Hylian."

* * *

I scratch the side of my face where the bruise is, from where Zelda's foot had hit. Telling her I was going to Hylian provoked her even more and even encouraged her to hit me in the face again, this time with her _foot_ instead of her hand. I don't know why, but I always drop my guard when I'm around her – it's probably because she looks so calm and innocent; at least until she punches a few of your teeth out. That'll teach me to befriend a princess.

Before the class starts, I get a rather pleasant surprise. My C.T. crystal begins to vibrate in my back pocket (don't ask me why I put it in my back pocket - I just really like the vibrations). I keep it hidden low beneath my desk as I check the message. It's from Uzuki.

_Link, _

_If somebody asks who you take after in the family, reply with 'mother'. And make sure you tell them that your hair used to be black and that you dyed it blond. Don't reply to this message, just follow my instructions. And make sure you forward this message to Shuto as well. _

_Uzuki_

I really feel like replying, but I don't want to cross Uzuki either, because she can be a real you-know-what when she gets angry. So instead of replying, I forward it to Shuto, like it said in the message, and I make sure to change the delivery name and the name in the message to Shuto. Then I hit enter.

Now, what I _didn't_ know, is that the teacher would make me introduce myself to the class. Thankfully, I didn't have to stand up. I just had to sit in my desk – next to _Vincent_ – and then tell the class a bit about myself.

"I'm Link," I introduce, taking my hand off my bruise. "Uh, I've been home schooled since I was a kid, so this is all new to me, so uh, please be kind." I glare at Zelda as I say this – she's sitting across from me, near the window, next to another guy. She doesn't spare me a glance, and continues to stare up at the teacher.

"Pleased to meet you, Link," the teacher – Mrs. Savens – says with a warm smile. "I hope you enjoy your time here at the Hyrule Academy." I guess I could consider myself lucky I'm the only one in this class from our 'family' - if Uzuki hadn't forwarded that message to me, I would have been screwed.

Mrs. Savens spins around and begins to write the chapters to a book on the board. She's a rather peppy type of person, with very short black hair, a thin figure, and skin that looks like she just went out to tan not ten minutes earlier. When she's done writing on the board, she walks around the classroom with an armload of books and passes us each one.

"We're going to read chapter fifteen, sixteen, and maybe seventeen, if it doesn't take us too long," Mrs. Savens says. "Link, are you familiar with this book?" she asks me as she places it on my desk in front of me. I stare at the dull-looking cover.

_Unsigned_.

"Yeah, actually, I've already read it," I reply. "My, uh. . . _sister_ made me read it when I was younger. It's a pretty good book." Obviously, when I say sister, I mean Uzuki. I'm pretty sure Uzuki had told me earlier that we were all going to be in this like a big family that just moved in from some other place, so that people wouldn't get suspicious.

"Well, then you can listen along while I read – as long as you don't spoil the ending for anyone else!" she laughs.

I smile back. "Nah, I'm not going to tell anyone what happens. You have my word."

Mrs. Savens pats the desk with her hand before starting to read the chapter aloud, walking around the class as she does so. While she's reading, I lean back in my chair and stare at the chalkboard ahead of me, tuning out from her words and listening to the silence of the classroom instead. I look next to me, where Vincent is sitting and making frogs out of small pieces of paper. I hear a small and quiet 'ribbit' come from him every time he completes another frog.

I take my attention away from Vincent and turn it to the rest of the class, passing the time by counting all the students in the classroom and even taking note of their hair color and listening/reading habits. There are twenty-eight students in this classroom – sixteen of which are girls, the other twelve being boys. There are a lot of professional looking students in the class, but there are also those that are a lot more reckless-looking and carefree (like Vincent and Yuuki – I don't really know what category Zelda would fit into; she's royalty, so she could be professional, but she can also be a real ass sometimes, so also reckless and carefree). I'd definitely have to classify myself into the reckless group – there is no way I'm here to get a good education, that sure as hell is true.

"NYAA!" Vincent suddenly cries out. The teacher and the rest of the class don't seem too startled – it scared the shit out of me though.

"What is it now, Vincent?" Mrs. Savens sighs, stopping her reading to place her attention on the irritated-looking student.

"THIS GOD-DAMN STUPID FROG WON'T STAND UP RIGHT!" He rips up a frog into tiny pieces and drops them to the floor. Then he stomps the pieces down with his shoe. "DIE, YOU REJECT!" The class begins to laugh at Vincent's act of idiocy. Mrs. Savens just rolls her eyes and continues to read, as if it's normal for Vincent to freak out like this and that it's just a normal procedure of the classroom.

Vincent turns back to his paper and begins to make more paper frogs, this time with more of a precise handle on the situation. He eyes the paper carefully and becomes very fine with his fingertips as he folds the paper over itself, over and over again, until he has another frog that manages to stand – thank the heavens. I sometimes wonder how that kid even managed to make it into this school – is he a genius or something? But then again, even _I_ made it in, so he must be doing something right.

This stupid class goes on for another hour. I often see Zelda or some other student shoot a quick glance at me – I think the only one that isn't treating me like a total outcast is Vincent, but something tells me he's even lower on the outcast list than I am. I can tell by the way other people are looking at me. To them, I'm a foreigner, a stranger who must be ignored at all costs. . . or approached and poked at like I'm some sort of strange creature from beyond this planet.

When the class ends, everybody runs out of the room, pushing each other along out the door. I stay seated in my desk, waiting for the crowd to clear out before I get up, grab my bag, and walk out the door. I make it maybe two steps down the hallway, schedule in hand, before I'm tapped on the shoulder. I stop, and turn around to see who it is. Expecting a crazy Vincent or an oblivious Yuuki or even Zelda ready to punch me again, I see that it's some strange looking, small girl whom I've never seen before.

"Uh. . . hello. . .?" I say, slightly confused because she looks like she just stepped out of a scary horror movie, the kind with the unexplainable ghosts that just make everybody go crazy – like the Fairy Tree Man thing that Uzuki told me about after I met Saichi and his group on the train.

She tilts her head to the side, examining me like a science project, and smiles a wide, creepy-looking smile.

"Helloooo," she says in a melodic tune. She holds her hand out to me. "Uh. . . my name's Sadik!" she says energetically as she shuffles around on her feet. I hesitantly take her hand and shake it. Her hand is small, bony, cold, and shaking, like she just saw a ghost.

"Uh, I'm Link," I introduce. "A-Are you alright?" I ask.

"Perfectly fine!" she says as she releases my hand. She sounds too cheery to be telling the truth – but at the same time, she's giving off the vibe that she's definitely not telling a lie either. Her eye twitches a little, the stupid grin still on her face. She's like a female version of Vincent, only a lot more lively.

"Um. . . what do you want?" I ask, a little disturbed by the fact that she's still standing there, smiling like a crazy idiot, her fingers moving around strangely from behind her hips.

"Nothing, nothing at all!" she exclaims. "I'm just happy to meet you, Link!"

". . . Uh-huh. Well, I. . . _really_ got to get going. I have to meet up with some of my friends. . ."

"Allow me to accompany you!" she says.

"W-Wha. . .?"

"I sa-id, 'Allow me to accompany you!'!"

I scratch the back of my head nervously. "That's. . . quite alright, thank you."

She shakes her head, the smile still on her face. "No, no, I've already decided! I shall accompany and protect you from evil people!"

_Evil people? The only evil person I see here is you!_ I think angrily as she grabs my arm. I let out a sigh of defeat. _But then again, if she means evil people, she may be able to protect me from Vincent, Yuuki, and hopefully even Zelda. . ._

"Do you like it here?" Sadik asks me as we walk down the hallway. I keep thinking that people are going to give me strange looks because I'm being dragged along by this girl, but everyone is continuing on with their day, like this is completely normal and she does this to everyone. . . I really hope she doesn't.

"Uh. . . I guess so," I reply.

A scary look crosses her face, her sudden happy personality changing to a very scary, evil one.

"Really?" she asks in a deep, scary voice. "I think this entire school should go to hell."

I look at her in surprise, taken off guard by her sudden change in words and feelings.

"What?"

Then she smiles, and laughs it off. A joke, perhaps?

"Too many people here that I don't like! There was a person here that I liked once, but she died."

_. . . Uzuki?_ I think._ No, it can't be the same person – this girl would have graduated by now._

"I can't seem to place the name. . . I know what it is. . ." She lets out a sigh. "Nope, can't remember."

_Yeah, that helps_, I think angrily to myself.

_Drop it, Link, it doesn't have anything to do with you,_ Dex growls.

_Eh. . . could have been important to know. Just a little tidbit, you know?_

_I think you're stupid. You should probably ditch this girl as soon as possible. And who uses the word, 'tidbit' anyways? I think there's a reason why girls flock to Mitsuhiro and not you._

"Uh, Sadik, I have to go find my friends, so uh. . ." I begin, hoping to shake her off.

"Friends? I'd love to meet them!" Sadik says happily, her eyes lighting up.

"What? No, I mean-"

"I must go meet these friends with you!"

"But-"

"Let us make haste, before the break ends!"

Before I can say anything else to object, she grabs my wrist and pulls me down the hallway. When we reach the lobby, I spot Uzuki, Yashiro, Mitsuhiro and Shuto gathered near the agora (which is apparently what the students call the tiny little student 'park' that you can reach through the back doors).

I give Sadik a good yank on the arm. "Hey, stop, that's them!"

"Ooooh!" she says, doing an observing type of look by putting her hand above her eyes, just beneath her brow. "They look fun! Hi, friends!" she calls out. I grab her and put my hand over her mouth to prevent her from speaking. Uzuki notices us, and gives me an odd look. Sadik lifts her head and waves. The next look Uzuki gives looks like she's surprised, but she also looks rather confused, so it's hard to tell.

"Oh, uh. . . who's that?" Uzuki asks me.

"I'm Sadik!" Sadik says, somehow getting out of my hold on her. She grabs Uzuki's hand with both of hers and shakes it vigorously. "Pleased to meet you, Uzuki-chan!"

"Uh. . . pleased to meet you too, Sadik," Uzuki says. When Sadik releases her hand, Uzuki turns her attention to me. "How did your first class go? Did you get a good dose of the school life?"

I sigh, but I smile to lighten the situation. "I guess it was okay. I just can't believe we have to do this for six hours a day, five days a week. Sounds like a real rip-off if you ask me."

Uzuki laughs. "Yeah, you'll get used to that."

"I never did!" Sadik groans. "These days are just too long!"

Uzuki smiles at her. "I have days like that too, sometimes. Especially when. . ." She blinks, and changes what she was going to say. She was probably going to say, "Especially when I was alive," but she must have remembered that she had to pretend to be alive for the humans.

"Excuse me, I lost my train of thought," Uzuki laughs. "Especially when Mitshiro, Saichi, Mikumi, Luma, Len, and all the rest of our friends left the school. . . then it got really lonely."

_Good lie. Everyone knows that you died before your friends graduated. _

When I think about it though, it must have been lonely to die and then become a Reaper. I mean, she had Mitsuhiro, Yashiro, and Shuto, but she lost all of her friends, her family, and everything that she lived for. All four of them lost that. It must have been excruciatingly painful and lonely.

It makes me think about my journey in Termina. All those people, all their hopes and dreams resting on my shoulders. . . they died every single time I failed and had to go back to the beginning again. . . I couldn't even befriend a single one of them either – if I did, our friendship would disappear the moment I used the ocarina and travelled back to the first day again. The only person I had to walk by my side was Tael, and memories of Zelda, Navi, and the Kokiri children I had left behind so many years ago. That's why I'm thankful for meeting Byrne – if I hadn't met Byrne, I probably wouldn't have met Uzuki, Yashiro, Mitsuhiro or Shuto either.

"The bell's going to go any second now," Uzuki says. "Yashiro and I have Art next."

Sadik's big grin gets even bigger, her eyes widening in excitement. "So do I! I'll be accompanying you to Art class, then!"

_What is it with this girl and having to tag along with everyone? _

Suddenly, just as Uzuki predicted, the bell rings, and the students in the lobby all scatter to get to their classes. Uzuki picks up her bag, and gestures for Yashiro and Sadik to follow her.

"The art classroom is still on the top-" Uzuki begins, but then she stops when Mitsuhiro kicks her ankle, probably reminding her to keep up her act as a new student. "Uh, I mean. . . Sadik, you know where the Art classroom is, right? Could you show us where it is?"

"I'd be pleased! Follow meee!" she says excitedly, charging ahead to the stairwell that leads to the second floor.

I look at my schedule. "I have History next," I say to Mitsuhiro. "You?"

"Yeah, same here," he replies. "Don't worry, I know where the classroom is. It's just right around this corner."

Mitsuhiro guides me to the classroom, taking me down the hallway and then turning around a corner, a door waiting for us the moment we turn it. I see that across from this classroom is the gymnasium. Sounds of people screaming and balls being kicked around ricochet through the hallway.

We're one of the first ones to enter the classroom. Other people in the classroom include the teacher, a rather tall woman with blond hair and glasses, and a few other students around the room, pulling their textbooks out from their bags and seating themselves at their desks.

When the teacher spots us, she smiles and points to the two empty desks next to each other at the side of the room, right in front of the door.

"Right there, boys," she says, automatically recognizing us as the two new students. "So, which one's Mitsuhiro and which one's Link?"

Mitsuhiro points to himself. "I'm Mitsuhiro," he says, and then points to me, "and this is Link."

"Hrm. . ." she mumbles as she adjusts her glasses. "You don't really look like brothers."

"Uh. . ." I say, swallowing in fear and trying to come up with a good lie.

"Different cultures from both sides," Mitsuhiro says calmly, not batting an eye. "One of our parents are Gerudo. The other is Hylian. Link takes more after his mother, but he's Hylian. I take more after my father. I'm Hylian as well. We only have one person in our family who's Gerudo, and she's only partially Gerudo due to past family ties."

I bite my lip, and look at the teacher. "Uh, yeah. Yeah, that's how it works."

The teacher adjusts her glasses again. "I see. . . well, my name is Mrs. Coin. I hope you enjoy your time here at the Hyrule Academy."

Mitsuhiro and I both nod, and both sit down in our new desks.

"How did you handle that so well?" I whisper to Mitsuhiro as I pull out my new history textbook from my bag.

"I already had to go through this discussion with my math teacher," Mitsuhiro whispers back. "I was with Uzuki at the time, and obviously the teacher questioned as to our relation because we look nothing alike – not when we're in our human forms at least. We're completely blood relation when we're Reapers. . ." Then he stops, as if what he said shouldn't have been said.

". . . What? Did you just say you and Uzuki are related?" I ask.

Mitsuhiro looks away. "It's nothing, never mind."

I sigh as I take out my notebook. "You said that one of our 'parents' is Gerudo. Is that true too? Who in our 'family' is Gerudo?"

". . . Uzuki," he finally answers.

"Uzuki? Uzuki's not Gerudo! . . . right?"

Mitsuhiro doesn't reply.

". . . is she?" I ask again, this time more clearly in case he didn't hear me the first time, which I know he did.

Mitsuhiro shakes his head. "Not completely. One of her grandparents just happened to have a bit of Gerudo mixed in – it skips a generation, so she was the one who got it. It makes her half Hylian, half Gerudo."

I stare back at my notebook ahead of me, trying to take in all that information. Her being a Gerudo makes her from the same tribe as Ganondorf. . . of course, none of the Gerudo women ever agreed with Ganondorf's ways, but it still comes to a bit of a shock to me. . .

"Listen, you didn't hear that, alright?" Mitsuhiro asks me through gritted teeth; he always talks like that when he's trying to get a message through, because he hates repeating himself, and he hates it when people don't do what he says. "Even I didn't know until just a couple years ago."

_Yeah, when you two were making out in the living room and you suddenly got together._ I try my best to keep a straight face – I still can't forget that silly little moment.

"You heard me, right?" Mitsuhiro asks again. "Don't tell _anyone_. And act dumb about it too when you see Uzuki and if she ever tells you – pretend like you never heard it."

I smile. "No sweat," I tell him. He nods and then flips his notebook to a clean page. By the time the second bell rings, the classroom is filled, and the teacher is ready to begin her lesson.

"We have three new students today, class," Mrs. Coin begins in a cheery manner. "I would ask that the three of them please stand up to make themselves known."

_Three students?_ _Me, Mitsuhiro. . . who's the other one?_

Mitsuhiro and I both stand up together, and then I see who the other new student is. Way in the corner, at the other side of the room, is a frail looking girl with short black hair and lifeless, black eyes. She's so frail looking, like I could snap her in half by just giving her a gentle hug. The look on her face is very odd – calm, but angered; a small, but gentle smile; soft eyes; and a look that says "I'm approachable, and I like everything to be neat, gentle, and calm. . . I'm also hiding a deadly secret". She looks like the kind of person that likes to play games with your head – like Uzuki, only Uzuki purposely does it in a crazy manner; this girl does it more or less in a way to make you feel uncomfortable. . . but it also lures you in at the same time.

"Well, you can go ahead and introduce yourselves to the class, if you like," Mrs. Coin says.

_Gah, not this again. . . _

I nudge Mitsuhiro in the ankle, telling him to go first. If I'm going to make a total idiot out of myself again, I might as well see how it's done first.

"My name is Mitsuhiro," he says calmly as he stares at the class. "I'm seventeen years old, and I enjoy playing the guitar and piano. . . and for the girls out there. . ." All the girls in the class, who I'm guessing were all staring at him because they immediately perk their heads up and pay full attention, ". . . I'm taken." The girls all frown and lower their heads. I try not to laugh. _Taken by Uzuki, no doubt. _

Mitsuhiro looks at me to say my introduction, and then sits back down.

"Uh, I'm Link, Mitsuhiro's brother," I begin. "I'm sixteen years old."

_Eighteen_, Dex corrects, knowing right away that I'm lying to keep a student profile – if I was eighteen, I probably would have graduated by now, or at least been in the twelfth grade, not the eleventh.

"Uh. . . that's all," I mutter, sitting back down next to Mitsuhiro.

Then the mysterious girl introduces herself.

"My name. . . is Fara," she says, her voice as soft and gentle as her face. "I'm sixteen years old. I hope I can get along with all of you here at Hyrule Academy. That is all." Then she sits back down, and stares at her desk.

"Thank you," Mrs. Coin says. "And now we can get on with today's lesson."

And so, the class was filled with lessons and talk about the Great War that occurred nearly twenty years ago, and how the tribes of Hyrule clashed in a great battle that made up much of the treaties today. She spoke about the different tribes, their livelihoods, their habits, and their leaders. She spoke about the things that made their homes so unique, like the waterfall that closed off the entrance to Zora's Domain, or the great Death Mountain that guarded Goron City, just beyond Kakariko Village. She even spoke about the legend of the Oocca, and how their tribe disappeared into the sky a long time ago, when the Hylians were born.

And at one point or another, she started to talk about the Dark Realm and the Twilight Realm, and about the creatures that inhabited them – the Reapers and the Twili. It surprises me enough that they know about the Reapers. Of course, she leaves out the details about how they must kill humans to survive, but I think that's just because that's confidentiality kept between the Reapers themselves. In fact, she doesn't seem to know too much about them. She says that they are creatures like the Twili, born with wings, and are born when another dies – therefore, the population is balanced. Although, this is kind of wrong because there are probably less Reapers than Hylians, because they're only born when a person has revenge in their heart; if a person dies with honor or isn't filled with hatred to die (accepting of their death, for example), then they just go to heaven or hell or maybe even MU*, if you don't have any form of religion (basically all the Time Keepers, including myself – I never was much for believing the gods; but I do believe in the three Goddesses, because I kinda have to based on the situation I'm in with the Triforce and everything). All of us sort of believe in MU, but we tend not to speak about it out loud in public so that we don't upset the people who are too stuffed up in their religion and then start ranting about 'respect for the people going to heaven'. . . if you ask me, people who say they're going to heaven are most definitely going to hell; at least, that's the way Uzuki and the Reapers raised me, but we've had some pretty interesting debates over it.

When that class ends, Mitsuhiro and I head to the cafeteria. When we get there, we head to the table at the back that's already occupied by Yashiro and Shuto (and once again, Shuto looks rather flushed).

"Hey, where's Uzuki?" I ask curiously, looking around the cafeteria and at the line-up in case she already lined up to get food.

"She went out to lunch. . ." Yashiro replies. ". . . for some odd reason. It's not like she eats anyways, so I don't see why she had to leave all of a sudden. She left with that Sadik girl."

"Think she'll be alright on her own?" I ask nervously.

Yashiro laughs. "She knows how to take care of herself. Believe it or not, that girl used to hang out with all the whores, skanks, and smokers a lot back when she was alive. I guess you could say that's partially what's screwed up her mind so much today, not to mention all the vodka coolers, mangas and too much free time to think and argue with herself to add to that."

"That seems. . . rather pleasant," I mutter as I sit down next to Mitsuhiro. For some reason, it makes sense that Uzuki would hang out with the whores, skanks and smokers. I'm not calling Uzuki any of those things, but she always did seem to have too many personalities – mangaka, mature, moe*, smart, childish, lustful, perverted, wild, crazy, professional, polite, cranky, girly, tough, shy, loud, carefree. . . and a bunch more that would take me the next twenty minutes to name off. But personalities like perverted, wild, crazy, cranky, loud, moe, lustful, and carefree seem to automatically place her into the kind of girl that would hang out with smokers, whores, and skanks. Anything else either fits her in with girly-girls (the kind that go on shopping sprees for clothes every single time they have money), mangaka nerds (the kind that read nothing but mangas and go on a shopping spree for mangas every single time they have money), or adults (the kind that go _don't_ go on shopping sprees and _invest _their cash every time they get money. . . or at least, talk about world issues and their days a lot. Uzuki can fit into that category as well sometimes). I don't think there's a category that Uzuki can't fit into – it's because she's so flexible not only with her personality, but with her aura as well. It really only takes her a second to match another person's aura and connect to them. But like a normal person, there are people that she hates and can't relate to at all, no matter what – these are people that Uzuki has either dreamt of taking a knife to and ripping apart limb from limb, or she has already killed.

So for lunch, I grab a fish dinner they have sold for fifteen rupees (I think I have about fifteen _thousand_ saved up from odd jobs and digging through grass, rocks, and jars – anything else I have is pocket cash that I carry around for emergencies, such as now). Mitsuhiro simply has a carton of Lon Lon Milk and a small portion of Wolfos meat. Shuto decides to eat healthy with milk, salad, an apple, a banana, and an orange. And Yashiro. . . she decides to stuff herself silly with chips, soda, candy, chocolate, chocolate milk, and home-made brownies.

"Yashiro, slow down on the sweets!" I yell. "Are you trying to kill yourself?"

"Mmph!" Yashiro replies, her mouth stuffed with brownie.

I sigh in annoyance. "I'm not even going to try and translate what you just said. . ."

Shuto pokes at his salad, his face flushed again like before.

"Shuto, are you sick or something?" I ask him. "You've been acting weird all day. You okay, buddy?"

Shuto shakes his head, and clumsily adjusts his glasses, his hand shaking. "N-No, I'm fine, honestly," he answers, but he doesn't sound too good either. Then he violently starts to jab at his salad and stuffs himself silly. He's obviously trying to prove that he's fine, but I say he looks like an idiot with all that salad stuffed in his mouth.

"Eh, suit yourself," I sigh, shrugging my shoulders at him before finishing up my fish.

When Uzuki finally comes back, I can tell that she's hiding something from the rest of us.

And Sadik is gone too.

* * *

Right after lunch, Mitsuhiro and I are together in Gym. Unfortunately, this is another class that I share with Vincent, and I swear to the Goddesses whoever thought it was a good idea to enroll that lunatic in gym was an even bigger idiot than he is. He keeps throwing barbells around and climbing up the walls with the ropes. Our gym teacher, Bruno Ruin, is the only teacher that didn't ask us for an introduction, which I'm kinda thankful for. He's a real tough guy though. He's about my height, with really buff arms and dark tan skin. He's got a bit of a beard near his chin - mostly in the form of a goatee – and a bunch of tattoos on his shoulders and ankles. He also wears flip-flop sandals and a bright orange tank top with black shorts, which just makes him look even livelier. He's always got a toothpick kept between his teeth too. And boy, does he know how to persuade people. He had weight lifting and running and all sorts of other workouts planned for today – when kids started to complain, he bashed his fists together and yelled, "Shut it! Or none of you will see the light of day! Do you want to end up like Russel?" At the mention of this 'Russell' boy, every kid jumped up and began working out like crazy, like they were getting ready for a one-hundred-mile marathon or something.

"I can't believe this old coot is still here," Mitsuhiro grumbles as he does another lift with the weight-lifting set, pushing the barbel set upwards above his chest. For some reason, he's able to pull off wearing just jeans and no shirt at all without getting yelled at. And for obvious reasons, the girls are all swarming around him, swooning over him like he's a new supermodel ready to be handpicked. I guess he didn't get the message through to these girls yet that he's taken by Uzuki.

"You had this guy before?" I ask as I do a lift after him, lifting the barbel set with ease. It only has about forty pounds on it; no sweat at all, but way too easy.

"Oh yeah," Mitsuhiro snickers as he prepares to do another lift. I think he has about eighty pounds on his barbel set. "Something tells me he remembers me too."

"Hey, girls! Get away from him!" Bruno yells. "Let the guy do his bench presses!"

The girls all let out a chorused whine as they get back to jogging and push-ups.

"Why do you say that?"

"Well, I put quite a mark on his class back when I was in Strategics and Defense with Uzuki, Yashiro and Shuto. He did the same thing too back then – always got the girls to leave me alone. That class was offered last year so we don't need to worry about it this year – I think that class was when Uzuki and I first actually met."

"Okay, cut the romantic crap," I tease.

"Hey, there's nothing going on between Uzuki and me," he growls. "I swear, the 'I'm taken' stuff is just to get the girls away. I'm not lying, this is just like high school when I was alive. I'm just fresh candy for all the girls to fight over."

"Ew, really? Must you make a sexual joke like that?" I groan.

"It's your fault for making it sexual," Mitsuhiro laughs. "When it comes down to that, it's probably true anyways."

I make a gross face at him. "So it's basically the same way for you this time around like it was when you were alive?"

Mitsuhiro does a lift before replying, "Yep, pretty much. The girls are just as annoying too, maybe even worse. But it's not really a good thing either that things are exactly the same way as before."

I do another bench press before asking my next question. "Why isn't a good thing?"

Mitsuhiro does another lift. Then he turns his neck to the side to look at me.

". . . Because I'm positive ole' Ruin knows it's me."

We both look at the gym teacher as he drinks his coffee, staring us both down like a hawk ready to attack its prey.

"Are you sure?" I ask as I do another bench press to remain innocent so that Bruno doesn't know I'm watching him.

"Positive," Mitsuhiro replies as he does the same thing, lifting the barbel set high and then setting it back down again on his chest. "Like I said, I left quite a mark on him back when I was at this school – I was like his golden student, mostly because I was the first one to beat him in a fight. There's no way he wouldn't be able to recognize me."

"So. . . what are you going to do if he asks you a few questions?"

"No idea. I may end up just saying I was related to 'Mitsuhiro' and that he was very close to me when he died." Mitsuhiro cracks a smile at his private joke. "Of course, with all four of us dead people here, it makes that excuse so much harder to keep up. We may have to erase them or something. . ."

"Hey, no killing people!" I yell, but I can't help but laugh a little.

"Not the kind of erasing that kills!" Mitsuhiro objects. "The kind that simply wipes out their memories! I may have to wipe out their memories of us back when we were alive – if we do that, there's no way they can recognize us now."

I take a breath of relief as I start to do more bench presses. "Good. Remember, we're trying to keep a low profile."

The girls squeal and the guys groan when Mitsuhiro does another bench press.

"That's his five-hundredth bench press!" one girl squeal. She laughs at one boy who doesn't look too pleased. "I told you he could do it! Mitsuhiro-kun is the best!"

I give Mitsuhiro an annoyed look. "So much for keeping a low profile, Casanova. Why do the girls always swarm to you and not me?"

Mitsuhiro smiles in response. "I dunno, but I think girls like the mysterious, tall, black-haired, quiet-and-cool-type guys better than the hyper-active, idiotic, girly blond ones."

"Ha, you're real funny, you know that?"

"I know, it's like I don't even try. And also, I'm not the one wearing a nerdy dress shirt either."

"That's because you're not wearing a shirt at all."

"Duh. I'm a hunk, aren't I?"

"Not when the guys chase you down and rip you apart limb from limb."

"You know, it's guys like you that make those crappy-looking guys actually look good," Mitsuhiro grumbles. "I feel really sorry for guys like you – you have to deal with the fact that there are magnificent specimen like me around to steal all the women."

". . . and yet you go for a crazy, alcoholic, night-owl, perverted girl like Uzuki?"

Mitsuhiro drops the barbel on his chest, a gasp of air escaping his throat as it hits him. Then he gives me an angry look.

"I told you there's nothing going on between us!"

"Uh-huh, sure," I snicker as I do another lift. I hear Dex laugh in my head.

_I bet you would beg to differ_,_ Mr. Peeping Tom._

* * *

Finally, my last class of the day.

I just gotta get through Geography, and I'm done.

And for some reason, I'm with Mitsuhiro _again_. Three classes trapped with Mitsuhiro just doesn't seem too healthy for me. And I can tell it's not really a party for him either. Don't get me wrong, ever since we stopped the Kyodai no Akuma from wreaking havoc inside of him, we've been getting along much better, like brothers. But like brothers, there's a point of togetherness that starts to just get annoying – like sharing three classes in a day, for instance. Boy, it's going to be a long mission for the both of us if we have to keep this up for a while.

Our Geography teacher is this old guy called Mr. Kline. He's actually probably only in his forties, but his hair is grey and shrivelled, so it makes him look so much older than he actually is, so it's hard to tell what his age actually is.

Thankfully, this class goes by really fast, no matter how boring it actually is. We talk about the eruption patterns of Death Mountain and even how the Gorons have evolved into a type of life form that can exist there – so basically, how Gorons became rocks that could survive the conditions of living in a volcano. . . even though that really has nothing to do with Geography. By the end of the day, we've already started talking about Zoras and their home (although, kids are a little confused with the 'reproduction habits' of a Goron; that's stuff that I don't know and don't want to know – I can stick with having to know the horrors of human reproduction, thank you. How Gorons reproduce is totally their business, and it really isn't something to be discussed in Geography class anyways). Although, I think the most interesting thing that happened in this class was the earthquake. At some point in time, the floor slightly rumbled, which rattled not only the students, but the teacher as well. Rather odd if you ask me.

When the bell finally rings, Mitsuhiro and I run out of the classroom together to find the others. We race each other to the lobby, pushing each other around, trying to be the first one there. When we get there, we finally spot Uzuki, Yashiro, and Shuto standing together near the doors, the rest of the students filing out past them.

"Reconnaissance time?" Shuto asks.

"I thought we were doing recon. . ." Yashiro mutters.

Shuto sighs and shakes his head in disappointment. "That's what reconnaissance is. . ."

I look at Uzuki, who still looks a little frazzled, the same way she looked at lunch time.

"Uzuki?" I ask.

She looks at me with a smile. "Hey Link. Have a good day at school?"

I groan, but I keep up a smile. "I'm not even going to speak about that. What about you?"

Uzuki pulls out her sketchbook and begins to draw.

* * *

**Okay, the first reference, "Tasuku Kurosaki-kun". Kurosaki is a character from the popular Shoujo manga called "Dengeki Daisy", which you can easily read at . Kurosaki is a blond-haired janitor that I guess sorta looks like a regular-eared Shoujo version of Link. I also love Dengeki Daisy, so I had to have Uzuki say that he looked like Kurosaki-kun :)**

**The second reference is the word 'moe'. This is simply a Japanese word that describes a girl that is clumsy in a way that it's cute. **

**I think those are all the references. . .**


	13. Hand Me a Gun So I Can Shoot Myself

Hey everyone,

Thankfully, this chapter consisted of doing a lot of copying/pasting, and you'll see why as you read the chapter. Anyways, it's basically the same as Chapter 12, except from Uzuki's point of view. This may seem like a boring way to do the arc, but important things happen to each character that can only be revealed in each one's point of view. Anyways, next is going to be Mitsuhiro's point of view. Enjoy, and R&R!

Uzuki Cheverie**  
**

The lonely girl is forever dreaming of something she can't reach

Churning, churning the insides of her flustered mind

"There's no problem." she mutters; has she lost her words?

Another failure, another failure

If it ends in search of the mistakes, once again, she'll spin!

**-**Hatsune Miku,_ Rolling Girl_

_(English Translation)_

**Time Gate: The Adult Chapters**

**Chapter 13: Hand Me a Gun So I Can Shoot Myself **

_8:00 a.m._

_Tuesday Morning_

_Day 1_

"I feel like a nerd."

"Well, you should have known this would happen by accepting this mission. You can wear what you want at the Academy, but it has to be sensible."

"And a tunic isn't sensible?"

"If you want to get mugged and laughed at, then yes. But we're trying to keep a low profile here, so you can't wear anything that's so showy like a tunic."

I watch as Link secures the last button on his shirt. It's nice to see him in something other than a tunic – he cleans up pretty well when he dresses in formal things like a dress shirt and a pair of jeans.

"You know, tunics aren't that showy," Link growls. "They're good for camouflage, especially in the woods."

"Link, it's a dress," I growl back. "I'm sorry for being so mean about it, but it's true – you need to wear something different besides the dress once in a while." _Wow, I finally insulted the dress and meant it too._ Link looks himself in a tunic – but he looks so much nicer when he wears a different outfit.

"How many times do I have to tell you it's not a dress?" Link yells. "It's not! It's a tunic! There is a major difference between a dress and a tunic!"

"Not to everyone that sees you at first glance," I mumble, several needles held between my teeth as I roll up his sleeves. Without thinking, I grab a comb and brush his hair back. His hair starts to spike up a little, so I use the comb to tame it down. His hair is probably so out of place from wearing that hat all the time – it probably wouldn't do good for the dandruff either.

"What about you?" Link asks. "You're going to change into your human form when we get to the Realm of Light, right?"

"Duh," I scoff. "What else could I possibly do?"

"Ditch me and make me do the mission myself."

I laugh in response. "I'm kind of looking forward to this mission though – I would be too bored just lazing around here while you guys are going to school."

_Hell no. I kinda don't want to do this. I so totally would ditch you if I didn't care about you so much._

"What about Yashiro?" he asks. "She woke up the other day, but then she just passed out again when she realized that what we're doing isn't a nightmare, that it's real. And this time she spit the blood up from her mouth, not her nose. That can't be healthy."

"Well, I cleaned up the blood from her face and stuffed some tissues up her nose for good measure," I reply in a mutter. "She's sleeping on the couch, and I don't think she'll wake up in time for her to get ready. I'll just turn her into her human form myself – I'm sure she won't mind." I feel like shuddering at the thought, but then I remember that I can just draw the outfit onto her – another reason why I'm so thankful for having the ability to bring things to life with my art.

"No, you'll just get punched in the face a couple times," Link snickers as he adjusts the rolled up sleeves to his liking.

I step back to look at the outfit. It's really actually an outfit that I borrowed from Mitsuhiro's closet – if he's lucky, Mitsuhiro won't choose the same outfit and won't make them look stupid in front of the humans.

"Great, you look just like a high school student," I say with a smile. "You know, with your blond hair and muscular figure, you look like Tasuku Kurosaki-kun. . ."

". . . Who?"

I laugh again. "Nothing, nothing." _I guess he hasn't read that manga yet_._ He really should. . . but then again, it is a girl's manga._

"Okay, are you done meddling with my hair and stuff?" Link asks with a sigh.

I examine him for a minute, and then once again, without thinking, I start playing around with his long bangs. I move them to the left first, then the right, and then the left again. I back up every single time to examine my work, to see what looks better.

When I reach for his bangs for a fourth time, Link finally snaps.

"Uzuki, piss off, would you?" he yells. "My hair is fine! You're just messing it up even more!"

I laugh out loud, and just for fun, I keep attempting to get his hair just right, but I know I have to back off when he starts swatting at me with his hands.

"I said piss off!" he yells even louder. "I swear to Goddess Farore, you can be the most annoying person on the planet!"

I stare at him for a minute, a smile on my face. "Sorry, I just can't help it, and you know that."

"You're too motherly!"

"Sorry, that's just the way I raised myself," I say quietly, but I immediately regret my words and shake my head, getting rid of the horrid thoughts. "Are you ready? We can leave any time. Just remember, you can't leave at any time during the day between nine and three, so you have to make sure you have _everything_ you need. And you can't leave after school either because we need to take our time in Hyrule to investigate any suspicious things, like Reapers." _Good Goddess Din, I know he's not an idiot, but I can't risk having him think he can walk out of the school any time. That would just cause unnecessary problems. _

"School bag, paper, pencil. . ." Link mutters. Then he looks up at me with a smirk on his face. "Dignity. I think I'm as ready as I'll ever be."

"Just remember – don't do anything stupid," I confirm, making sure that I'm clear.

"Gee, that sure is reassuring."

"Don't worry about it," I mumble.

"Okay, so first you tell me not to do anything stupid, and then you tell me not to worry about it? You're just making me worry even more!"

I respond with another laugh and then playfully punch his shoulder.

"Who knows, you may have fun," I reply.

_Who knows, I may have fun too_.

* * *

Getting shoved into a locker – not the best way to start the first day of school, but I guess it can't be helped. If my previous life as a human has taught me anything, it's that if someone wants to pick a bone with you, don't provoke them; if they keep bothering you like the retards they are, and if you think you can get away with winning and escaping from suspension afterwards, then go ahead and beat the shit out of them – you only get to live once, you're only a reckless teenager once, so you may as well live it out well. I let this assault slide this time, but it's mainly because Mitsuhiro is watching – not to mention the entire population of the hallway – and I don't want them to see me explode. If they try anything else, I'll have no choice. Those idiots need to know who's on top of the food chain. I spent my entire life as a human at the bottom; there's no way in hell that's happening again. Even being in the middle is good enough for me – popularity sucks because it's just leading you on the road of becoming a no-good person who thinks they can push people around like dolls. But then again, even when I was alive I treated humans like they were different – I knew that they were undeserving of their pathetic little existence on this planet, and I knew they were the worst creatures this universe has have seen. And I also accepted the fact that I myself was human, and that I also didn't deserve the luxury of living.

"Uzuki, are you okay?" Mitsuhiro panics, rushing to my aid.

I swat at my arms, checking to see if my right side will bruise. My right arm is a little sore, but hopefully it doesn't get any worse.

"I think I'll be okay," I snicker. "If they try it again though, they may only be lucky enough to leave with a couple teeth left. . ."

Mitsuhiro laughs under his breath and pats my shoulder.

"We should head to our first class," he says. "Math, right?"

"Unfortunately," I snicker. "Hey, do you think Link will survive?" I ask with a laugh.

"It's not Link I'm worried about," Mitsuhiro snickers in a low voice. "I'm just worried about Yashiro doing something stupid. She could break any of these students in half. . ."

"We're lucky we're in our human forms then," I reply. Mitsuhiro smiles as he places a gentle hand on my back as he walks me down the hallway towards our classroom. It's in the lower corridor of the school, on the first floor. I remember where it is because I had taken Math in this classroom back when I was alive. The classroom doesn't look any different now than it did back then – a large window with red curtains, four large chalkboards surrounding the desks and tables that are arranged in no particular pattern, and the large sheets of paper with mathematical equations, tricks, and formulas hanging on the walls for the students' use.

Mitsuhiro and I are one of the first students to arrive, so we pick a table by the window and take our seats. The teacher is already here, sorting through her papers, preparing her lesson for the class. When she sees us, she smiles.

"You two must be from that new family that just transferred here," she says as she scrolls her finger down an attendance list on her desk. "Uzuki and. . . Mitsuhiro, correct?"

_Oh yes, we're just a big bundle of fun_, I think angrily.

"You two don't really look like brother and sister," she mutters, raising an eyebrow as if she doesn't trust her own source of information.

"Um, a-actually. . ." I begin, but Mitsuhiro stops me.

"I take more after our mother," he explains,"and Uzuki takes more after her father – her father's side of the family happens to have a bit of Gerudo mixed in, and she got it as well. She's pretty much the only one that takes after our father's appearances; everyone else looks like our mother."

I cringe slightly when I hear Mitsuhiro say the Gerudo fact about me. Yes, I'm Gerudo – but from my father's side only. My grandmother has it, and for some reason it skips a generation, so it passed on from her to me; there's only a male Gerudo born every one hundred years, so it didn't pass onto my brothers, or even my father. It went on to my sister, Chiyo, as well, but she looks nothing like me. She looks more like our mother, who's Hylian. So it makes me part Hylian, part Gerudo.

"Oh. . . I see," the teacher says. "Well, I'm Mrs. Lark. I hope you and the rest of your family enjoy your time here at the Hyrule Academy."

"T-Thank you," I stammer with a quick bow of my head. When Mrs. Lark continues her paperwork at her desk, I tap Mitsuhiro's leg to get his attention, and then I whisper a soft, "Thanks" to him, for covering me. I have to give credit to Mitsuhiro and his quick-thinking. So now, Shuto, Yashiro, Link, Mitsuhiro and I are siblings. I guess it could work out; we're all one big happy family anyways. I'm just hoping the teachers don't catch onto how different we look – if I take after my 'father', that could work. And if Mitsuhiro takes after his 'mother', then that could work for both him and Yashiro as well, because Yashiro has black hair like him. But then there's Shuto and Link I'm worried about – they're both blond, so we have to come up with a plan for hiding them.

I have a lot of spare time on my hands now before the bell rings, so I take out my C.T. Crystal, and I send a short mail transfer to Link and Shuto. Thankfully I remembered to tell them to keep their crystals on 'silent vibrate', so when they get the message it will vibrate very softly; enough to get their attention, but not the teacher's (because they would probably get their crystals confiscated, which is something we don't need to happen).

I look down to my lap as I type in the message with my thumb on the holographic screen that's floating over the crystal.

_Link, _

_If somebody asks who you take after in the family, reply with 'mother'. And make sure you tell them that your hair used to be black and that you dyed it blond. Don't reply to this message, just follow my instructions. And make sure you forward this message to Shuto as well. _

_Uzuki_

Then I copy the message and send it to Yashiro as well, making just a few minor changes.

_Yashiro, _

_If somebody asks who you take after in the family, reply with 'mother'. I'm going to be the one taking after our 'father', and you and Mitsuhiro are going to be the ones who take after 'mother'. As for Link and Shuto, don't worry about them, they have it under control. Just don't do anything to give us away._

_Uzuki_

After I send the message to Yashiro, I turn off the crystal and put it back into my bag.

As the rest of the class files in and seats themselves, I soon find out that our "family" aren't the only ones new to the school. When the bell rings, Mrs. Lark calls up the other new student, a frail-looking, pale girl with short black hair and emotionless black eyes. She addresses herself as "Fara". I don't like her. Her eyes are distrusting; they remind me of Mitsuhiro's eyes, only. . . even crueler. But at the same time, her eyes are gentle – a deceiving kind of gentle. The kind of gentle that can toy around with humans even better than I can.

Mrs. Lark starts the roll call. When she calls my name, I raise my hand and say, "Here.".

"Mitsuhiro Kasahara?" she calls. Mitsuhiro raises his hand, but I can tell he's trying hard not to laugh. For some reason – and I think it's mainly because I made everyone take this mission – we decided on using my name as our family surname. So now, we are the "Kasahara" family; Uzuki Kasahara, Link Kasahara, Mitsuhiro Kasahara, Yashiro Kasahara, and Shuto Kasahara. The fact that Mitsuhiro and I both have the same last name now isn't going to help with the whole 'forbidden romance' jokes that Mitsuhiro keeps telling me that Link is making fun of us about.

"Uh, here," Mitsuhiro says, his face and his words still hiding the laughter.

She continues with the roll call. Mitsuhiro leans towards me.

"So I'm a Kasahara now, huh?" he whispers.

"Better get used to it," I mumble, keeping my eyes on the teacher and not giving him a single glance. "We're a hardy people," I say with a smile.

Mitsuhiro laughs lightly under his breath, and then stares back ahead at the teacher as she finishes up the roll call.

I guess Math class goes by decently enough. Thankfully we're doing algebraic equations, so that's easy enough – it's something I know I can do without getting stuck.

_Why are you worrying about your mark so much?_ I think to myself. _It's not like it's actually going to affect you in any way. _

_But it makes the class go by faster if I work. _

_But it's not like it matters if you fail._

_But I don't want to feel stupid._

_You are stupid._

I set my head on my desk and take a few calming breaths, trying to shut my head up. I look to my left, and I see Mitsuhiro glancing at me with a worried look. Then he starts to write something at the bottom of the page in his notebook. He takes his finger and slightly rotates the notebook towards me, until the bottom of the notebook is facing in my eyes' view.

_Don't think too hard. Don't stress yourself out. Just relax. You don't have to pressure yourself too much _

_to do good in this – remember, it's not like we're coming back here again after this mission._

I take another breath before grabbing my pen, writing in a response below his note.

_Easier said than done. My head won't leave me alone. . . I feel like I have split-mind personality disorder. . . or schizophrenia._

Mitsuhiro reads the response, and then writes something in.

_Why do you say that? Have you been contradicting yourself more than usual? That's not healthy. Anything you want to talk about concerning this?_

I smile slightly at his note, mostly because I think it's silly that he's so worried about me. Then I write another reply.

_Please don't worry about it – I just have too much free time to think, that's all. _

Mitsuhiro frowns this time, and then writes another reply. We continue writing back and forth like this for the next twenty minutes.

_I have all the right to worry about you. I don't need you going crazy again. _

_You know I hate that. _

_What, sympathy? Insanity? Or both?_

_Sympathy. I really don't need it. You know that as much as the next person. _

_You can't even take a little bit from me either?_

_Sorry, but that's a no. _

_Aww, I'm heart-broken._

I roll my eyes at his smart-ass response. He's clearly trying to piss me off.

_Oh, so sorry. But I'm pretty sure what you're doing right now is a line you definitely don't want to cross. _

_I know it's a line I don't want to cross. But I might as well, considering I have nothing better to do and it'll get information out of you. _

_What, do you think I'm lying? I'm just stressed, that's all. _

_You're a good liar, Uzuki, but you forget the fact that I know you better than anyone. Tell me the truth. _

_Read my words over twice: I'M FINE, SO LAY OFF._

_Are you sure? You can tell me anything, you know._

_Read above sentence through for a third and fourth time, please and thank you._

_Fine. I guess you're alright._

_. . . You're not going to let this go, are you?_

_No. Not until you tell me the truth. _

I stand up from my desk, taking the sheet of paper out of the notebook and taking it with me to the garbage can. I'm sure to look at Mitsuhiro with an extra angry look as I take the sheet of paper and rip it up into shreds and let the pieces drop out of my hand and into the garbage.

When I sit back down at my desk, Mitsuhiro leans over to me and whispers in my ear, "That's not going to change anything. I'm still worried."

"Well, be prepared for a lot of disappointment, asshole," I growl.

Mitsuhiro pretends to look sad, and then he smiles. "Love you too." Then he starts to write down problems in his notebook.

I roll my eyes again and look down at my own notebook, beginning at the start of the questions that I really should have gotten half-way finished a long time ago, if some people hadn't disturbed me and pissed me off even more. But by the time I do the first few questions, I've already drawn five doodles to accompany them, each one of something different, whether it be a knife, a person, or a hell flower.

When Math class finally ends, I feel a little less stressed out than before; at least, enough for Mitsuhiro to approach me again without me getting mad.

"Look, I'm sorry," Mitsuhiro says as he tries to keep up with my quick pace down the hallway. Thanks to being in high school already when I was alive, it's easy to swerve through the crowds, so I can walk faster than the others who are pushing and shoving to get to their lockers.

"You don't have to apologize," I reply, trying not to sound too angry.

"Sure I do, because if I don't, you'll get mad at me later too," Mitsuhiro replies. "I just don't want the same thing to happen to you again, like last time."

"So, what happened again?" I ask, trying to confirm to see if he's talking about the same thing I'm thinking about.

"All the weird shit that hit the fan back when we were alive."

"Oh yeah, that was totally weird shit," I say, being sure to add as much sarcasm as I possibly can. Then I frown at him, my eyes becoming hostile and my hands curling into fists. "No, Mitsuhiro, that was a _nexus_ of shit that hit _various_ fans – or so the saying goes."

Mitsuhiro sighs and shakes his head at me. "You know what I mean. Everything that happened up to your death; all the weird shit that made you go completely crazy."

"Including. . .?" I ask, still being sarcastic because I'm in a really sour mood.

"Like Shuto's sickness. And the Angel. And that issue with you becoming so crazy that you heard voices in your head. Not to mention the time you were tied to a tree and beaten until you were bloody and bruised by the Fairy Tree Man."

I stop in my tracks. People start to push and shove, trying to get past me, but I don't budge.

"That. . . that _thing_ was _not_ the Fairy Tree Man," I growl in a low, angry voice, trying to keep myself from screaming at him. "And that is something that you shouldn't even know about – that was a secret kept between only me, Saichi, and Mikumi."

"Well, I think you better start thinking over who you trust a little better," Mitsuhiro says in a casual tone as he looks up to the ceiling. "Turns out Saichi and Mikumi were scared to death because of what happened to you, and Saichi worried over you just as much as I did – eventually, after a lot of coercing, someone spilled the beans."

_Saichi. . . I can't believe you. . . _

"Why did you start worrying about me so much anyways?" I aks angrily. "You sure have a funny way of showing it. I'm not the one who threw a death threat just an afternoon after we met."

Mitsuhiro gives me a look that implies he has no idea what I'm talking about. "Death threats? I never threatened you."

"Yes, you did. You threatened me the same day we became teammates in Strategics and Defense – the day you decided to ruin my human life forever. So why should you care? Did you start worrying after the Fairy Tree Man got to me? After you saw how good friends I was with Saichi, or even Makoto?"

Mitsuhiro is silent.

"Or was it after I died from something I can't even remember?"

Mitsuhiro grabs my shoulder gently, and looks into my eyes. "I promise you, Uzuki, I never threatened you. And whatever it was you died from. . . whatever it was, I wish I could have stopped it so that you didn't have to die. It would have been better if I had been the only one to die, not you as well."

_He looks like he's telling the truth. . . but what does he mean, "If I had been the only one to die?" I don't know how I died, but I do know that Mitsuhiro died in a car accident._

"When did you start to care?" I ask again, realizing that was the only question he hadn't answered yet.

"I guess I started to care when. . . I saw you for the first time when you entered the Hyrule Academy."

I stare at him for a moment to let the words sink in. Then I look away from him, slightly embarrassed, but mostly just not wanting to give him the satisfaction of an easy win.

"Forget it," I mumble. "I'll accept your apology for now. Let's just enjoy the rest of our break." I start to walk again at my quick pace, Mitsuhiro following at a safe distance away from me. When we make it to the lobby, I stop with him at the place where me, Saichi, Yashiro, Mikumi, Takuma, and the rest of my friends used to hang out at break – near the stairwell that leads upstairs, just next to the agora, which is basically just the backyard of the academy, with benches and painted brick walls and even a small flower garden.

We wait there for about a minute before Yashiro and Shuto show up. Shuto looks like he just threw up in the bathroom not two minutes earlier. The poor boy and his raging hormones.

As for Yashiro, she still looks pretty upset – probably about getting her ass dragged down here against her will. I can tell it's not the mission; any mission like this would get her excited to the core. But it's the fact that she has to be in her human form. After she became a Reaper, I guess she realized how weird she looked in her human form – taller than me, a chubby face, and short black hair that travels just to the point that the ends are brushing against her shoulders; the hair is what she really hates. I remember when she became a Reaper, she vowed never to cut her hair to that length ever again.

"This. is. bullshit," Yashiro pouted in separate sentences as she angrily crossed her arms – she always wants to let us know how pissed off she is. "I hate being stuck in this stupid body! I can barely lift anything! Three hundred pounds is suddenly a lot of weight."

I shake my head at her. "Yeah, it's a lot of weight to _everyone_, except you, Yashiro," I sigh sarcastically. "You're just going to have to deal with it and hope that we finish this mission soon."

"How can you be so cool about this?" Yashiro yells at me.

"Easy," I answer with a smile. "I just pray to the Goddesses that I don't worship that I'll have easy access to a gun so that I can shoot myself once this is all over."

Yashiro looks away, not wanting to respond to what I just said. I end up looking past her, and as soon as I do I spot Link walking towards us. But there's a small girl with short brown-black hair holding his arm like she's his mother, escorting him through the lobby towards us.

I know that girl.

I know I do.

She's so familiar – her face, her hair, her stature, and that crazy look that she has in her eyes. That must be Sadik, the girl who went to school with me before I died. But it can't be her – she would have graduated by now.

"Oh, uh. . . who's that?" I ask Link curiously when he takes his spot next to me, the girl still holding onto his arm.

"I'm Sadik!" she says, releasing herself from the hold Link seems to have on her as well. She unexpectedly grabs my hand with both of hers and shakes it almost enough to throw me off my feet. "Pleased to meet you, Uzuki-chan!"

"Uh. . . pleased to meet you too, Sadik," I reply. _I knew it. I knew it was her. How can she still be here? She should have graduated by now – she was the same age as me when I died, and it's been years since then. _When Sadik releases my hand, I try to focus on Link instead. "How did your first class go? Did you get a good dose of the school life?"

Link sighs, but still manages to force a smile. "I guess it was okay. I just can't believe we have to do this for six hours a day, five days a week. Sounds like a real rip-off if you ask me."

I laugh in response. "Yeah, you'll get used to that." _Of course, he would have gotten used to it faster if he had done it for eleven years in a row, like the rest of us._

"I never did!" Sadik groans. "These days are just too long!"

I try to smile at her, but it's hard not to get mad at her unexpected appearance. "I have days like that too, sometimes. Especially when. . ." I stop myself before I can continue. I wanted to say, "Especially when I was alive,", but that's something that I can't say for obvious reasons – even if it's Sadik I'm talking to.

"Excuse me, I lost my train of thought," I laugh. A good lie, because it really does happen – and it annoys the crap out of everyone else. "Especially when Mitsuhiro, Saichi, Mikumi, Luma, Len, and all the rest of our friends left the school. . . then it got really lonely." Another lie that's actually true – if I had gotten to grade 12, I would have been extremely lonely, because all my friends besides Yashiro and Shuto would have graduated.

Link gives me this look, the kind of look that says, "That's a good lie. Even if you died, you can still use it.".

"The bell's going to go any second now," I announce. "Yashiro and I have Art next."

Sadik's big grin gets even bigger, her eyes widening in excitement. "So do I! I'll be accompanying you to Art class, then!"

Link lets out a groan and rests his head in his hand. He gives me a different look this time, the one that says, "Watch your back.".

Not a second later, just as I predicted, the bell rings, and the students in the lobby all start to run around to get to their classes. I pick up my shoulder back and gesture for Yashiro and Sadik to follow me.

"The art classroom is still on the top-" I begin, but before I can finish my sentence, Mitsuhiro kicks me in the ankle. Then he shakes his head at me. "Uh, I mean. . ." I start again, "Sadik, you know where the Art classroom is, right? Could you show us where it is?" Keeping up this 'new student' act just keeps getting harder and harder.

"I'd be pleased to! Follow meee!" she says excitedly, charging ahead to the stairwell that leads to the second floor. She grabs my hand, pulling me along with her, up the stairs and down the second-floor hallway. Yashiro runs behind us, trying to keep up, her shoulder bag bouncing against her waist and the students around us watching all three of us, wondering why we need to run so quickly.

Just ask the crazy girl who's been here longer than she had to.

Going back to the Art classroom brought back a lot of nostalgia and old memories. My old art teacher, Mrs. Liscen, is still here, a little older but still as spunky as ever. She has to be nearing her retirement age though – she doesn't look as old as she is, but she's probably sixty-four or sixty-five by now.

"Alright, class," she begins. She still has that odd but very cool way of talking that she had back when I was alive – very dramatic, like the world was going to end any second. "Today, we are going to be focusing on architectural drawings. But before I start with the lesson, I'd like to introduce two new students of mine." She gestures her hand towards Yashiro and I at our table in a way that asks us to stand up.

"Please, introduce yourself to your fellow classmates," Mrs. Liscen says with a gentle smile.

"My name's. . ." I begin, but I'm really nervous about continuing on. I was probably Mrs. Liscen's favorite student back when I was alive – I was a good artist, and I got along really well with her too. She probably already recognizes me; if I say my name, I'm screwed. But I can't _not_ introduce myself; besides, she probably already knows my name from the record. Too late to go back now. . . "U-Uzuki Kasahara," I stammer. I can feel my face heat up. I can tell that she knows it's me. But she's hiding the truth under that happy, soft smile of hers.

Yashiro looks at me nervously before introducing herself as well, thinking the same thing I am. Yashiro loved art class too – there were things that she struggled with when it came to drawing, but she still loved it – and I could tell she had the feeling that Mrs. Liscen would be able to recognize her immediately.

"I'm Yashiro," she says. "Yashiro Kasahara."

Mrs. Liscen smiles at both of us as we sit back down in our seats. Then she pulls out a long sheet of paper and attaches it to the chalkboard with clips at the top and bottom of the board. On the sheet of paper is a very detailed drawing of a basic-looking tavern. I've seen that drawing before.

Because I was the one that drew it.

Now I know Mrs. Liscen is playing some sort of game with me. She has a feeling that it's me, so she's throwing a little test out at me to provoke me.

"Notice the attention to detail in this drawing," Mrs. Liscen says as she uses her pencil as a pointer and shows specific places where there is massive detail. "The artist that did this was very young. It took her only a week to finish it, but she worked extremely hard on it. Now, I'm not expecting you all to be able to draw things like this right away," she smiles. The class laughs in response. "But I do want you to try your best. We'll be covering the basics of how to do drawings like this by using our previous lessons of two-point and three-point perspective, along with quick sketches and guides."

Everyone takes out their sketchbooks and opens to a fresh page. I grab the pencil from behind my ear and sharpen it with the small metal blade that's offered to everyone. Then I begin to do the exact same thing that I did back when I first did this drawing. While I'm working on the brief guide, I look over at Yashiro. She still hasn't stopped staring at the original drawing in awe. Then she leans over to me and whispers in my ear, "I hate you." I smile back, knowing I've set her up for the deadliest challenge in the world. When I look over to Sadik, who's sitting next to Yashiro at the end of the table, I see that she's coloring several sheets of paper in different dark colors with her pencil crayons. I figure I'll just let her do her own thing and focus on recreating my own piece of art.

Every so often, Mrs. Liscen will look over my shoulder to see how I'm progressing. I might as well challenge her test with my own response – draw the drawing the exact same way it's shown. It only takes me a half-hour to get started on the detailing in the roof; I always start from the roof and work my way down when I'm working on an architectural drawing.

When class ends, my drawing is about halfway done. Yashiro has just finished perfecting the guide to it, and Sadik. . . has about twenty sheets of colored paper. She stuffs the sheets of paper into her sketchbook after the bell rings, and then immediately grabs my arm before I can make a break for the door.

"That was a fun class, wasn't it, Uzuki-chan?" she asks me excitedly. "The artist that did that drawing must have been amazing! I really wish I would have been able to meet her!"

_Stop playing this stupid game with me, Sadik_, I think angrily. I feel really tempted to attack her head on and get her out of my hair. But I don't know enough about the situation around me; she knows something that I don't, and I want to know what it is as soon as possible.

"Sadik. . ." I begin as we walk down the stairs. I keep my voice low and my head close to hers so that Yashiro doesn't hear me. "I have nothing to do for lunch. Do you want to go out for lunch with me?"

An evil grin crosses Sadik's face. She knows what I want now.

"Anything for the great Uzuki-chan," she replies, her voice a lot lower and more sadistic than before.

"Good. I'll meet you in the lobby."

* * *

At lunch, Sadik and I head to the cafe that's not too far from the school. We only have about forty-five minutes, and because this place is so close, it's a hotspot for lunches that involve leaving the school. This is also the same cafe that I used to go to with the entire group that I hung out with back when I was alive – we went for pizza every Friday, all six of us: me, Yashiro, Saichi, Mikumi, Takuma, and Nobunaga.

Sadik and I don't bother to get anything to eat. Instead, we each grab a bottle of water and sit ourselves down at a two-seat table, far away from the rest of the crowd. Sadik switches the chair around and sits in it so that the back of the chair is facing me.

I guess it's kinda nice to know that Sadik hasn't changed much since I last saw her – about my height, but very frail, with brown-black hair that ends in uneven cuts near her shoulders, and a choker with spikes on it that she always wore even back when we were classmates. And she still wears the shirts that make fun of the meaning of 'karma'. Right now, she's wearing a shirt that says, "Karma Can Suck It" and there's an arrow pointing down to her belt. I guess that's pretty funny. She also has this black cloth-like rope that's tied around her waist, some of the ends of it hanging down in front of her and onto her lap. Surprisingly enough, attached to one of the ends of the rope is this blade that looks like the blade from a scythe, only shaped with a few more jagged ends. And of course, she has a plush doll of a sheep attached to the back of her belt.

"So, why did you drag me all the way out here?" Sadik asks me in a way that suggests she had something a million times better to do than this. She pulls the bottle cap off the bottle and takes a quick sip from the water.

"Why are you still here?" I ask, jumping right to the chase so that I don't miss any details before lunch is over. I also pop the cork off the bottle, but I don't take a sip; I just set the water in front of me on the table.

Sadik shakes her head. "I should be asking _you_ that. Why are you _back_ here, Uzuki? You're supposed to be, I dunno, dead."

I smirk back. "Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm a Reaper now. Which means I can still mess with you and everyone else. But I'm not going to do that. What I _really _want to do is find out why you're still here. Shouldn't you have graduated by now?"

Sadik shakes her head again, her wide smile coming back for an encore. "Uzuki, I've been at this high school for, like, fifty years now."

Something tells me I should be surprised, but for some reason, I'm not. I guess I've just heard so much weird stuff in my time that this just doesn't bug me as much as it should.

"Fifty years? How is that possible?" I ask as I clench my water bottle in one hand, still not taking a drink.

Sadik waits a moment to respond, probably waiting to decide if I can handle this situation or not. "I'm not. . . I'm not human, Uzuki. I'm a Reaper too."

_Now things are getting weird. How could she be a Reaper?_

"Serously speaking?" I reassure.

"Seriously speaking," Sadik repeats with a nod of her head so that I know she's telling the truth. "I died fifty years ago. I've been at this high school ever since I ran off from the Society – have they stopped looking for me?"

I let out an annoyed sigh. "Uh, I just found out you're a Reaper! How am I supposed to know?"

Sadik lays her chin on the table. "Aww, it would have been nice to know. If they had stopped looking for me and Shiyoru, we could have gone back. . . the two of us left the Society fifty years ago because we hated what they were making us do, and we've been hiding ever since. I was in my Reaper form for maybe a week; I've been in this, my human body, for fifty years now." She sits back up and places her hand on her chest to show that she's in her human form. "I'm lucky that Reaper powers can preserve your human bodies and keep them from ageing, otherwise I'd be screwed right now."

I release a stressful sigh and lean back in my chair as I drag my face down my hand in tiredness.

"So you're a Reaper. . . and you died fifty years ago," I clarify. "And you've been in hiding from the damn Society ever since?"

"Me and Shiyoru have been hiding. She should actually be here; she comes here everyday for lunch." She starts to look around the area, but fails to spot her, and turns her attention back to me.

"Well, at least we're on the same page," I yawn. "We're all on the run too."

"You _all_ got turned into Reapers?" Sadik asks me, and then laughs. _Yes, I guess it is something that's funny to think about sometimes._

"Yep, all four of us," I answer.

Sadik suddenly gets a confused look, like I said something wrong.

"Y-You mean all six."

"What? No, just four. Me, Mitsuhiro, Yashiro and Shuto. There weren't six."

Sadik lowers her head. "I could have sworn those two. . . Uzuki!" she lifts her head again, her eyes wide in excitement and fright. "Have you seen Saichi or Mikumi around since you became a Reaper?"

"Saichi and Mikumi?" I repeat, the words bringing a pain to my heart the moment I speak them. My two best friends since I came to the Academy – Saichi since we were in preschool – and I hadn't seen them since I died. "N-No, I haven't. . ."

"They disappeared off the face of the planet years ago!" Sadik exclaims. "Everyone keeps telling me they died! No one's seen head or tentacle of Saichi, or head or hat of Mikumi either. Everyone's convinced that they're dead."

_Head or tentacle? Is that supposed to be a Fairy Tree Man joke? The head or hat thing makes sense because of Mikumi-hat, but. . . head or tentacle? I really hope Saichi hasn't done anything stupid!_

"Dead? Are you serious? No, they can't be. . ." I argue. "But. . . wait, what do you mean, 'everyone's convinced'?"

"You know, me and my friends! The Assassins! Shiyoru-chan! Princess Zelda! No one's seen Saichi or Mikumi. . . Higashi-kun even went all the way out to Termina, but he never found them!"

My heart sinks into my stomach. _Sadik knows the Assassins. And apparently Princess Zelda too._ _Could Saichi and Mikumi. . . actually be dead?_ _If they didn't become Reapers, then they must be gone. . . that is, if they really died. They couldn't have become Angels without being wiped out first by that attack on Kalasia that Link witnessed. Damn, things are just getting more and more confusing. . ._

"How's the group doing by the way?" Sadik asks, changing the subject because she can probably tell it's upsetting me. "How's Mitsuhiro? Is he taking man-slaughter well?"

Now I feel _really_ confused! "M-Man slaughter? What the hell are you talking about?" I ask, my voice raising in fear. "He hasn't man-slaughtered anyone! He's murdered people, sure, but that's because he's a Reaper!"

Sadik frowns. By her now-lifeless expression, I can tell that what she said probably shouldn't have been said. All the color that was ever in her face drains, and she clears her throat before continuing to speak.

"Oh. . . you didn't know? Hmm. . . I wonder if it's alright to tell you. . . no, I'm pretty sure he would have wanted to tell you himself. I'm sorry Uzuki, but I can't speak about it," Sadik apologizes.

"Sadik, what is it?" I ask again, this time more firm so I can get an answer.

"Uzuki, please forgive me, but I know he wants to tell you himself," Sadik apologizes again as she starts to rub her fingers through her hair in sheer stress. "I. . . I really don't want to tell you the truth about Mitsuhiro. . ."

"Truth about Mitsuhiro? Please, Sadik!" I demand, standing up and banging my hands on the table. The bottle of water tips over and the water spills onto the wooden cafe table.

Sadik doesn't look at me. "I-I'm sorry. . ."

I hang my head low, staring down at the water as it drips off the side of the table and onto the brick-paved ground.

"No. . . no, it's fine. . ." I reply softly. "I just wish I knew what was going on right now. . ."

Sadik places her hand on my shoulder, and smiles, but this time, with a gentle one and not a crazy one. "Uzuki, maybe if you ask him. . . he really cares about you, so he'll probably tell you the truth."

I look back up at her, and I hug her. "Thank you, Sadik. . ." I cry.

"Uzuki."

"What?" I ask as I pull away from the hug.

"Just. . . don't ask anyone else if he refuses, okay?" Sadik asks. "Some people that you know have a different side of the story. . . Makoto, for instance. Whatever they say, don't listen to them. They don't know what really happened – only Mitsuhiro does. So if Makoto says something stupid about it, don't listen to him. He's wrong."

I shake my head. "I haven't seen Makoto since. . . I died," I lie. Truthfully, the last time I saw him was when I sneaked into his house and took a peek at his little diary, but that's something I don't really want to talk about right now to Sadik, especially considering the fact that she seems to be on the Assassins' side.

"Sadik, can I ask you something?" I start as I grab my sketchbook and my camouflage hat that I always carry around. I place the hat on my head, and I put my sketchbook into my bag, then I stick my pencil behind my ear again.

"Anything," Sadik says with a smile.

"You said you knew the Assassins. . . does that mean you're on their side?"

Sadik laughs under her breath. "Sides, sides, sides, everyone's gotta be on a side. . . well, I guess I'm on the Assassins' side, but I certainly don't want to kill you all. That's really just Makoto and Zel. . . Zero." The way she hesitated with her words tells me that she's keeping another secret. But I don't want to insist on bothering her any further – there's only so much I can learn in one day without making anyone around me suspicious.

"So, the Assassins really aren't our enemies? It's just Makoto and Zero?"

Sadik nods. "Makoto has had a bit of a grudge against Mitsuhiro for a while now. . . but again, that's back to the subject that I dare not speak of. Just ask Mitsuhiro."

I sigh at the fact that I have to ask Mitsuhiro everything – but I guess it can't be avoided. I give Sadik another hug before turning around.

"Oh, and Sadik," I begin again, turning around halfway to meet her eyes again. "Don't tell Makoto that you saw me. None of them know I'm here, and I'd like to keep it that way. Same goes for the rest of us – keep us all a secret."

Sadik drags her finger across her fingers like a zipper. "My lips are sealed!" Then she lets out a psychotic giggle. Then she turns around and heads in the opposite direction. I guess it doesn't really matter where she's headed – it's not like she can fail at the Academy, considering she's been here for fifty years. I wonder how she's been able to pull that off for so long now though. . . she would have to change her appearance every time she graduated just to stay at that school. But why would she stay here all this time? She could have gone anywhere – she didn't need to always stay at the Academy.

Maybe. . . she was waiting for me to finally show up.

* * *

I get three nice surprises when Writing class in 'D' Block comes around.

One, there's another new student, who's not from our pleasant 'family'. Her name is Fara. She's a frail girl with short black hair and black, lifeless eyes. She's quite pale too; about the same skin color as Mitsuhiro, but maybe not as bad.

Two, Zelda Nohansen Hyrule attends this school. I clearly remember her not coming along with us on this mission, so it kind of confuses me as to why she's here. When I ask the student next to me why she's here, he says that she attends public school once in a while for a change of pace, to get out of the stuffiness of the school she attends at the castle, which is basically just one-on-one teaching with a highly-educated professor.

And three, there was an earthquake. Okay, so maybe not a really big dangerous one, but big enough to just barely shake the floors enough for me to notice. I guess it was kind of scary, mostly because I've never felt an earthquake before in my entire life, so I found it odd that there was suddenly an earthquake today in class.

Writing class was pretty good too, I guess. I do a handful of writing when I'm not drawing, so I enjoyed it, and it made the time go by faster too. But I couldn't take my attention away from Zelda or Fara the entire time. Zelda, because I still can't believe she's here – I wonder if Link is even aware of her being here yet. And Fara. . . because she's giving off a strange vibe – a very unfriendly vibe. All she does is stare at her desk; and she's always got this calm, mysterious smile on her face. It's a very distrusting and disturbing smile – it's so disturbing because it shows no emotion at all, just like her dark black eyes. And she keeps that smile on her face the entire time, even after class ends. When the bell rings and everyone gets out of their seats, she stays there, staring at her desk, her hands rested on her legs as she presses the tips of her fingers together.

After I'm pushed into the hallway by the wall of kids trying to get out, I grab a hold of Zelda before she can get away.

"Hey, hands off!" Zelda growls as she swats her hand away. "Don't touch me!"

"Zelda, it's me!" I argue. "Uzuki!"

Zelda tilts her head at me, and then laughs. "Yeah, right, I'll believe that. Now are you going to let me go or do I have to take care of you myself?"

_God, what a bitch! _I think furiously to myself. _I thought I was cruel, but this. . .! _

I force a smile, but really, I want to punch her silly.

"Do you want proof?"

_Asshole?_

"Will you go away if I listen?" Zelda growls.

_What? Screw you!_

I keep the smile up as I reach into my messenger bag and pull out a sketchbook. Then I shove it into her chest. She opens it and looks at the first drawing of Mitsuhiro.

_Oooh, a drawing of your boyfriend?_

. . . That was not me.

_Shut it, you stupid thing! _I think back, making sure my thought is loud so the thing gets the message. That's all I can really call it. A Thing.

Zelda doesn't reply.

"Turn to the fifth drawing then," I tell her. She turns the pages until she gets to the fifth drawing – it's a drawing of Link daydreaming.

"Yeah, he's probably daydreaming about _you_," I snicker. _Goddess Din knows why he'd fantasize about a woman like this. . . _

Zelda rolls her eyes at my sarcastic comment. Then she goes to the next page.

"Oh, and that's a drawing that I did after you slapped Link right in the face! It was hard to draw, but I got down every detail, from your hand hitting his cheek to the shock expression on his face!" I explain in a happy way so that she knows I really did draw it.

Zelda starts to laugh. A lot. Then she closes the sketchbook and hands it to me.

"Okay, now I know it's you!" she finally surrenders with a smile. "Ah, I remember that day like it was yesterday. . . how I wish I could do it again soon. . ."

_She really is a cold-hearted bitch!_ I think to myself, becoming more irritable by the minute, my hands clenching into tight ready-to-punch fists.

_Oh, shut up, _the Thing begins to grumble._ You know you're the exact same. What happened to hating humans?_

_But she can at least act civilized in front of the humans to keep up the act! And I'm not going to let her act like this towards Link! _

_Suck it up, Uzuki, and just leave her be. She's going to hell anyways._

I let out a sigh and put my sketchbook back into my bag.

"By the way, Uzuki, can I ask you a question?" Zelda asks.

". . . Suurreee," I try to say calmly, but I can't help gritting my teeth.

"Well, two things actually," Zelda corrects herself. "One, could you tell Link that he's doing a lousy job? There's a Reaper swimming around here and he still hasn't found it!"

All the thoughts towards Zelda suddenly disappear, and I focus on what she just said.

"Wait, you found one?" I ask, completely surprised at the fact that she even knew why we were on this mission – but that's a question that I'm not going to even going to bother asking.

"That Fara girl," Zelda says in a low breath so that Fara can't hear us, who, by the way, is still sitting in the classroom, staring at her desk.

I sigh in relief, but in anxiety as well over the fact that the Reaper is right there and I can't do anything about it. "I knew something was off about her. But how did you figure it out?"

"Wheeee!"

Sadik runs past us in a frenzy, her arms waving in the air, a pinwheel clenched in her hand. Well, it's nice to know she's back.

"Sadik," Zelda mutters when she's gone, and rolls her eyes again. "She's a Reaper too, you know."

I nod in response. "I know, I found out today at lunch. So what should we do about Fara?"

Zelda looks around to make sure no one's listening in on our conversation, and then starts to whisper again, "We'll just monitor her for now – you know, make sure that she doesn't do anything suspicious or weird. I've got Sadik keeping an eye on her during school hours, and her friend Shiyoru keeping tabs on her after school, considering she doesn't attend here. And we've always got Flint."

My heart suddenly sinks, and my legs go weak.

"F-Flint?" I ask, my voice becoming shaky and nearly powerless. "Flint _Mansel_?"

Zelda raises an eyebrow. "Problem?"

My stomach starts to churn, and my legs start to wobble from beneath me. I need to sit down, or I'll end up falling right here in the middle of the hallway. I take a seat on the bench outside the classroom, and rest my head against the wall, trying to slow down my pulse by taking deep breaths. Zelda takes a seat next to me.

"Hey, are you alright?" she asks me.

_I guess the bitch can provide sympathy,_ the Thing snickers in my head. No, I don't need that thing speaking in my head right now – I need to clear my mind, and focus on what's happening now.

"Flint Mansel was. . . an old friend of mine," I choke, trying to keep the tears back. I start to think back to memories of me buying books from the bookstore he and his sweet old grandmother owned. He had been so nice to me during the time we knew each other. "Are you saying he's wrapped up in this mess now too?"

Zelda nods her head, and she looks like she regrets doing it too. "I'm. . . I'm afraid so, Uzuki. Sadik, Shiyoru, and Flint – all three of them are Reapers, buddies for about forty-five to fifty years now in Reaper years, and about ten years in human years. Sadik was the first one to go; she was murdered by some strange killer; and assassin, to be more precise. Then Flint died shortly after – he was also assassinated by the same person. No one knows how Shiyoru died – she changes the subject every time someone asks her."

My heart begins to race even more, and I can feel the tears welling up.

"F-Flint is. . . a Reaper too?" I cry, trying not to choke on my words but ending up whispering them under my breath instead.

Zelda puts a hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry."

I shake my head, rejecting her apology. "No, don't worry about it. I guess I should have seen it coming – but I keep letting my guard down." I take a deep breath, the tears that were about to fall from my eyes disappearing completely. "So we have Sadik, Shiyoru, and Flint to keep tabs on Fara?"

"You can count on them completely," Zelda approves. "They're very reliable. Sadik takes care of patrolling the Academy; Flint takes care of watching the city from his bookstore; and Shiyoru just follows Fara everywhere after school when Sadik can't provide her services. Shiyoru is great at sneaking around and not getting caught, so she's perfect for following Fara everywhere."

_So Fara is completely oblivious to the fact that Shiyoru is following her around? The Society can't be that shitty. . . but they could have sent out just one of their weaker workers, one that isn't even ranked as a higher-up. And the Reaper would have to be in their human form to be able to walk around in the Light Realm like this. . . I don't think there are any higher-ups that go by the name of Fara. _

"Alright, but just tell them that Fara may not be much of a threat," I tell Zelda. "I don't know any higher ranked Reapers in the Society that go by the name of Fara, so she could just be a pawn. It may not even be necessary to keep constant surveillance on her, but I guess it's better to be safe than sorry."

Zelda nods as she gets up from the bench. "Oh, and about my second question. . ."

Right, I forgot that there had been a second question. We got so into our conversation over her first one that the second one just slipped my mind.

"Did you feel that earthquake in class today? It was barely noticeable, but it did catch my attention."

I get up from the bench as well. "Yeah, I felt it too!" I exclaim. "It was weird, wasn't it? It was just like a small tremor in the floor; I don't even think the teacher noticed it!"

"I know! I don't think this is the Reaper's work either – if it was, she would have just collapsed the school right from above us with the biggest earthquake this kingdom has ever seen!"

_Well, it's nice to know her attitude has changed, but I think it's just because she's talking to me and not Link. . . _

The bell suddenly rings, marking the end of our break. I already know that I have Music next. Thankfully, I kept my old flute that my brother Taishou gave me a long time ago when I was in, like, eighth grade. Shuto and Yashiro are going to be with me in that class too. Hopefully Mrs. Carp, the Music teacher (who I really hope is still teaching here) has a spare clarinet for Yashiro.

Zelda and I run downstairs, and we wave goodbye as we part ways. She heads inside the History classroom, and I head further down the hallway toward the music classroom. I reach into my bag and pull out the small flute case that I surprisingly remembered to bring along. And there, with the same smile on her face she had back when I was alive, stands Mrs. Carp, greeting students into the door while having a conversation with the male teacher that teaches Terminian, Mr. Dean – I guess I'm a little mad that he's still here, but he was also pretty badass back during my school years here too. He's notorious for being very strict and intolerant of bad behaviour. But the student who can get him to smile is always given a congratulatory pat on the back and a high-five. As for Mrs. Carp, she's been my music teacher since I was in seventh grade, when I started playing the flute in her music class. She's one of those people that seems a little harsh at first, but once you get used to her, you can actually come to like her. She considers all of us band students as her 'children'. She's also very sarcastic, which usually causes people to have bad first impressions of her – but like I said, once you get used to her and lighten up to her jokes, she's quite an awesome person.

When Mrs. Carp greets me at the door, she gives me that look that she gives to all the new students – the look that says, "Welcome to my classroom; the stress shall set in in just a minute.".

"You must be the new student, Uzuki," Mrs. Carp says. "I see you have your own instrument. That's good."

"Yeah, I've had it for a while now," I answer. "It's pleased to meet you, Mrs. Carp."

"Okay, go sit down," she says. And here comes the sarcasm. "And if the students stare at you, just ignore them."

"I know," I laugh. I feel like crying though – being back in my old music classroom is bringing back all sorts of homesick feelings. When I sit down, I start to examine the classroom, trying to see what's changed between now and the time I died. Not much has really changed at all. The Band Geeks photo mural that we made a long time ago is still hanging up – pictures of all of us looking geeky and lame with our instruments all surround big and bright paper letters that spell out "Band Geeks". I look at the bulletin boards that are bolted to the entire wall behind Mrs. Carp's desk. Photos of her kids, graduation photos of students who left the school that left a picture with Mrs. Carp to keep, birthday cards, funny student quotes to lighten our day. . . and when I really look hard, I can see the Christmas cards that I made every year for her up until the year I died. Well, I didn't make them specifically for her, but for nearly the whole school. Each year, I would draw Christmas cards and hand them out to all my friends and family. And I always gave one to Mrs. Carp to put on her bulletin board. All four of them are there, each one drawn better than the last because of my drawing skill increasing slightly with each year. It really makes me happy to know that she kept them, even after I died.

Yashiro and Shuto soon show up. Yashiro has this big grin on her face, and Shuto looks embarrassed beyond belief. When Yashiro sits next to me, I realize that she smells like something burning.

"Ugh, Yashiro, what's that smell?" I ask, holding my hand to my nose so I don't have to breathe in the disgusting odor.

"I blew up the Chemistry lab!" she exclaims, sounding accomplished.

"You _what_?" I ask again, this time angrier than before.

Shuto shakes his head, and sighs as he adjusts his glasses. "Yashiro thought it would be smart to mix the chemical Cesium with water."

Yashiro whacks Shuto over the head. "Hey, I did it on purpose! I've always wanted to blow up that place!"

I groan, putting my head in my hands. "Goddess Din, Yashiro!" I growl. "I knew signing you up for Chemistry was going to backfire. . ."

Yashiro smiles a big toothy grin, and claps her hands together. "Thank you, Uzuki-chan!" she says happily.

"Such a bad idea. . ."

Shuto pulls out his flute from the flute case attached to the back of his belt, and begins to clean the metal with a white cloth, being sure to get the insides as well. "Uzuki, you should clean your flute out as well. It hasn't been played in a while, has it?"

I look past Yashiro and at Shuto. "You're right. I hope this thing still works right." Shuto passes me the cloth that he was using, allowing me to clean the inside of the flute out. When I pull the cloth out, it's stained with black gunk and smudges.

"Ew, that's nasty," Yashiro snickers.

"Tell me about it," I mutter. Then I realize that Yashiro still doesn't have a clarinet. "But wait, what are you going to do, Yashiro? You don't have your clarinet anymore."

Yashiro gets up out of her seat. "I'll just go tell Mrs. Carp. She probably has a spare." Then she heads to Mrs. Carp's desk, leaving me and Shuto alone to clean our flutes.

"So is that why there was an earthquake?" I ask Shuto curiously, wondering if the Chemistry class explosion was the source of the tremor that had occurred during Writing class.

"Most likely," Shuto answers as he peers inside the middle piece of his flute, checking to see if it's clean. "I swear, that girl is going to get us in serious trouble. She needs to focus on the mission."

"I see what you mean," I agree. "But I guess it can't be helped – we're stuck doing this mission, so we may as well have a bit of fun with it."

Shuto attaches the middle part of his flute to the top and bottom halves, and then blows a quick note. "As long as she doesn't get hurt doing something stupid. . ." he says, a worried look crossing his face. Then he plays a very quickly played scale.

"Oooh, are you worried about her?" I ask teasingly, raising an eyebrow at him to worsen the teasing effect.

Shuto blushes. "Duh! I'm worried about the entire team!" he says, but I think he's just trying to cover himself. "I just don't want anything bad to happen to any of us!"

"Uh-huh," I mumble as I play a few notes of my own on my flute. "Sure thing. I guess that excuse will work for now."

"I-It's not an excuse!"

"Ha, you stammered! It so is an excuse."

"N-No it's not!"

* * *

When the end of the day rolls around, Shuto, Yashiro and I leave the classroom together and head to the lobby, waiting in front of the doors for Link and Mitsuhiro to show up. I guess when it comes down to it, this mission has already proven to be useful – I found out about Sadik, Shiyoru, and even Flint; not to mention I found out about Fara from the Society; and that Zelda is attending this school (and that she can be a real bitch sometimes); even the fact that Saichi and Mikumi are missing. I guess that last point isn't really important for the group as a whole, but for me, it really makes me wonder where they could have disappeared to, to the point that no one has seen or heard from them ever since they left. I just hope they're okay. And then. . . there's the secret that Sadik couldn't reveal about Mitsuhiro. I have to ask him what she meant – and I have to make sure he doesn't try to refuse either, because I know he will.

Soon enough, Mitsuhiro and Link show up, clearly racing each other and trying to get to the lobby first.

"Reconnaissance time?" Shuto asks when the boys arrive.

"I thought we were doing recon. . ." Yashiro mutters.

Shuto sighs and shakes his head in disappointment. "That's what reconnaissance is. . ."

Link looks at me, and I start to fear that he can sense the stress that's on my mind right now.

"Uzuki?" he asks in a worried tone.

I look at him with a smile. I can't let him know what happened today. "Hey Link. Have a good day at school?" I have to try and change the subject.

He groans, but smiles anyways just to try and lighten the mood. "I'm not even going to speak about that. What about you?"

I don't even want to speak about it either. So I pull out my sketchbook, and I begin to draw. While I do, I sneak a glance at Mitsuhiro.

_What about you?_ I think curiously. _What are you hiding from me? _

* * *

**Just a quick note, I'd like to mention that the two new OC's, Sadik and Flint, are both based off good friends of mine :) Sadik is based off the real-life RateMyDrawings artist who goes by the username of Sadik, and Flint is based off the real-life Daniel. . . who also goes under the penname of Leizerwulf on RateMyDrawings. You two are awesome! :D (also, Shiyoru isn't based off anyone, she's actually based off an old drawing of an OC I came up with when I was like 7 and totally forgot about until my sister found the drawing X3)**_  
_


	14. What is This, Highschool of the Dead?

Hey everyone,

Okay, so I bet you're getting bored of seeing the same basis for each chapter over and over again, but the next chapter will take a dive into Shuto's day and then finally Yashiro's, so it'll change things up a bit at least (although, unfortunately, this means the chapter won't be updated as fast because I can't just copy/paste and change things around like I did for Uzuki and Mitsuhiro's).

Uzuki Cheverie**  
**

She says I swear too much,  
She says a lot of things  
Well I'd swear every other word if I could  
For her I'll make an attempt  
Sometimes love isn't about how much someone suits you  
But how much you're willing to change to suit them

-Alexisonfire, "Rough Hands"

**Time Gate: The Adult Chapters**

**Chapter 14: What is This, High School of the Dead?**

_8:00 a.m._

_Tuesday Morning_

_Day 1_

I remember when I became a Reaper. I remember when I was going through horrible times, trying to comprehend the fact that I was dead and had to kill other people to survive. I would think happy things to get me through the day. One of those happy things was, "At least you'll never have to go to that hell-hole of a school again."

Son of a bitch.

I personally don't blame Yashiro for passing out on the floor when Uzuki and Link accepted the mission. Even hunting down missing kittens would be a better mission than this. But I guess I can't object to it – when Link the great Time Keeper leader speaks, we must listen. And it would be a bad idea to let the Society do what they want to the Academy and the students that go there every day (what, about six hundred students? That's a lot for the Society to get their hands on.).

I lock the latch on my belt that's tied around my waist, and then I pull my black tank top over my head. I'm pretty sure these are the exact same clothes I wore when I was alive, which is bullshit (but it saves me from having to buy new clothes – Uzuki still does that, but that's because she's a girl and she loves to buy new clothes, each outfit more provocative than the last.)

I look over at Yashiro, who's still passed out on the couch. Fortunately, I'm not the one who's going to be dressing her, thank the Goddess Nayru. Uzuki's just going to be using her drawing ability to put the clothes on her.

I grab the comb sitting on the coffee table and drag it through my hair a couple times, just to make it look less messy. When I'm done, I set the comb back on the coffee table, and proceed to the kitchen to make myself a cup of coffee. This routine is exactly the same as it was when I was a human – wake up, get dressed, comb hair, get coffee, do anything left in my spare time, and leave. I did that every morning, every day, up until the day I died. I still kinda do it now, but my days are a lot more stressful now, so sometimes I don't even pay attention and just skip my morning routine altogether. My routines are then replaced by training in the backfields or the forest, or even kicking Reaper ass (but there's been a lot less of that lately now that the Society has gone completely A.W.O.L.).

Yashiro starts to toss and turn on the couch, and lets out a few swear words from her mouth. I can't help but let out a small but quiet laugh at her sleep-talking.

"G-Go away. . . I don't want. . . dorky clothes. . ." she mumbles in slurred words.

_Dorky clothes, huh?_ I think, a plan emerging in my head._ Alright, I guess I know what I'm going to tell Uzuki to dress her in. . . _

_You'd better not_, the Kyodai no Akuma growls at me. _If you want to live, that is. _

I stare at Yashiro tossing around on the couch, and then I think of myself head-first in the wall. I'm stronger than Yashiro when it comes to skill, but when it comes to strength. . .

_Yeah, I think I'm going to hold back on that one now_, I think back to the demon, a smile growing on my face as I take a sip from my coffee. Because we all know that messing with Yashiro will just end with us having broken faces.

* * *

The first thing of the school day to take care of – rescue Uzuki from getting shoved into the lockers. Even now, nearly six years later, and people are still treating Uzuki like trash. They don't even know who she is – anyone who had a grudge against Uzuki when we were alive would have graduated by now, thrown into jail, or already happily killed by Uzuki.

"Uzuki, are you okay?" I exclaim in a panic, running over to help her.

Uzuki swats at her arms, trying to null the pain.

"I think I'll be okay," she snickers. "If they try it again though, they may only be lucky enough to leave with a couple teeth left. . ."

I laugh under my breath and gently pat her shoulder.

"We should head to our first class," I tell her. "Math, right?"

"Unfortunately," she snickers. "Hey, do you think Link will survive?" she asks with a laugh.

"It's not Link I'm worried about," I laugh in a low voice. "I'm just worried about Yashiro doing something stupid. She could break any of these students in half. . ."

"We're lucky we're in our human forms then," she replies. I guess that's true too. I smile and place my hand gently on her back as we walk down the hallway towards our classroom. The Math classroom is still in the same place as it was before, and it still looks the same way it did on the inside too. Mrs. Lark, the Math teacher, is even still here.

When we sit down, I notice that we're one of the first students to arrive. Makes sense, considering the bell hasn't rang yet.

"You two must be from that new family that just transferred here," Mrs. Lark says with a smile. "Uzuki and. . . Mitsuhiro, correct?"

_Whoopdie-doo_, I think angrily.

"You two don't really look like brother and sister," she mutters as she raises a distrustful eyebrow at us.

"Um, a-actually. . ." Uzuki starts to say, but I cut in.

"I take more after our mother," I explain,"and Uzuki takes more after her father – her father's side of the family happens to have a bit of Gerudo mixed in, and she got it as well. She's pretty much the only one that takes after our father's appearances; everyone else looks like our mother."

So I had to give away the fact that Uzuki has Gerudo blood in her – but it was the only way to make the lie believable. I know I'm going to pay for revealing that later; I can tell by the dirty look Uzuki's secretly giving me right now.

"Oh. . . I see," the teacher says. "Well, I'm Mrs. Lark. I hope you and the rest of your family enjoy your time here at the Hyrule Academy."

"T-Thank you," Uzuki stammers as she bows her head. When Mrs. Lark turns her attention back to her paperwork, Uzuki taps my leg softly, just enough to get my attention, and then she whispers a quiet, "Thanks" to me. I can't tell if she's thanking me for covering me, or being sarcastic and thanking me for giving away her Gerudo identity. By the smile on her face, I'm assuming it's the first one. What I find really silly about all this though is that we have to go undercover as siblings – it was the only way we could have all five of us come to this school without it looking suspicious. And for some reason, we chose Uzuki's last name. Not that I mind, but if anyone asks for Uzuki's last name, she's screwed because people will become aware that she's the same Uzuki that died nearly six years ago. I'm also a bit worried as to how we're going to pull off the 'sibling' look. I mean, Uzuki has an excuse because she's Gerudo. Yashiro and I can pull off looking like siblings; so we have the looks from the mother and father covered, but Link and Shuto, who are both blond? That's going to be tricky.

When I look over to Uzuki, I see that she's typing something in to her C.T. crystal. I read over her shoulder to see what she's typing, and I see that it's a message for Link explaining on how to cover up his 'family ties' with us. It's nice to know that Uzuki is thinking ahead like I am – we really can't afford to make any mistakes on this mission.

Eventually, the rest of the students show up and take their places at their own tables. When Mrs. Lark calls up a third new student, I realize that we're not the only new ones here. The girl who stands up from her table to introduce herself is frail, with eyes like mine – black, cruel, and distrusting (I am merely saying my eyes are distrusting due to how much I've deceived people in the past; an example, the Kyodai no Akuma incident).

Mrs. Lark starts the roll call, and when she calls my name, she addresses me as Mitsuhiro 'Kasahara'. It takes me a second to reply, but I'm just trying my hardest not to laugh. I don't think I'm going to get used to being a Kasahara – no offense against Uzuki though.

I lean towards Uzuki as inconspicuously as I can so that the teacher doesn't notice. "So I'm a Kasahara now, huh?" I whisper so quietly that even I can barely even hear my own words.

"Better get used to it," Uzuki whispers back in a low mumble, the both of us keeping our eyes on the teacher. "We're a hardy people," she says, a smile growing on her face the moment the words leave her mouth.

I let out a brief, quiet laugh, and then we both stare back ahead at the teacher as she finishes up the roll call.

I don't pay attention the entire time during Math class. I end up doodling little drawings on the margins of my notebook. I also end up having little conversations with the bastard that's trapped within my head.

_Do you even know what that loudmouth teacher is talking about?_ the demon asks me impatiently. I can tell that he's getting bored.

_Yes. But I learned this back when I was alive, so I don't really need to pay attention_, I reply.

_I swear to the Dark Lord that if I wasn't trapped in your stupid head I'd kill everyone in here so that I wouldn't have to listen to this crap._

_Hey, calm down – you're going to be trapped in here for a long time, so you'd better get used to it, asshole. _I smile to myself and the private jokes that are going through my head that are aimed straight at the Kyodai no Akuma. I really have to thank Uzuki and the others – without them, I'd probably be wreaking havoc all over the Dark Realm and Hyrule.

As I watch the teacher giving the lesson at the front of the class, I take occasional glances at Uzuki. She's making that face again – the face that implies that she's stressing out for no reason at all, over something that really shouldn't be stressed over.

I grab my pen and start to write a little note for Uzuki. When we had finally become friends in high school back when we were alive, we would pass notes to each other during the theory class of Strategics and Defense (in other words, the 'strategics' part of the class – not to mention the most boring, for me at least).

_Don't think too hard, _I write. _Don't stress yourself out. Just relax. You don't have to pressure yourself too much to do good in this – remember, it's not like we're coming back here again after this mission. _I just really hate seeing Uzuki stressed – she gets cranky, which is _really_ annoying, and it's just not healthy for her head.

Uzuki reads the note, and stares at it for a decent minute before grabbing the pencil stuck behind her ear and writing a response.

_Easier said than done. My head won't leave me alone. . . I feel like I have split-mind personality disorder. . . or schizophrenia._

_That can't be good_, I think to myself. _Normally I wouldn't be worried, but we're not exactly normal. All of us kind of have our own schizophrenic friends – I have the Kyodai no Akuma, Link has Dex. . . _I immediately write a response.

_Why do you say that? Have you been contradicting yourself more than usual? That's not healthy. Anything you want to talk about concerning this?_

Uzuki smiles a little when she reads it, and then writes down another response.

_Please don't worry about it – I just have too much free time to think, that's all. _

I frown. That's one thing about Uzuki that I dislike – she hates it when people worry about her. She always says not to worry, and normally, she can somehow make things okay, but I still don't like having not to worry about her.

_I have all the right to worry about you. I don't need you going crazy again. _

_You know I hate that. _

_What, sympathy? Insanity? Or both? _

That ought to get her fired up a little. The only time Uzuki will ever reveal her true feelings about anything is to get her really pissed off. It's like her adrenaline and anger is an entire other person in her head.

_Sympathy. I really don't need it. You know that as much as the next person. _

_You can't even take a little bit from me either? _

_Sorry, but that's a no. _

_Aww, I'm heart-broken._

Uzuki rolls her eyes at my response. I think she can tell I'm just trying to tick her off.

_Oh, so sorry. But I'm pretty sure what you're doing right now is a line you definitely don't want to cross. _

_I know it's a line I don't want to cross. But I might as well, considering I have nothing better to do and it'll get information out of you. _I feel like if I cross this line now though, I'm going to pay for it later – Uzuki hates it when people try to help her in any way.

_What, do you think I'm lying? I'm just stressed, that's all. _

_You're a good liar, Uzuki, but you forget the fact that I know you better than anyone. Tell me the truth. _

_Read my words over twice: I'M FINE, SO LAY OFF._

_Are you sure? You can tell me anything, you know._

_Read above sentence through for a third and fourth time, please and thank you._

_Fine, so I guess you're alright._

_. . . You're not going to let this go, are you?_

_No. Not until you tell me the truth. _

Before I can think of what she could possibly write in response, she instead stands up from her desk, grabbing the piece of paper with our conversation on it and taking it with her to the garbage can near the door. With an angry evil expression directed straight at me, she rips the paper into tiny pieces and then drops the pieces into the garbage. Then, with a very satisfied walk, she comes back to the table and sits herself back down.

I lean over to her and whisper, "That's not going to change anything. I'm still worried."

"Well, be prepared for a lot of disappointment, asshole," Uzuki growls through gritted teeth.

Ouch. That hurt. But I can tell she doesn't mean it – she never does – so I make a joking frown and say, "Love you too." Then I begin to work on the math problems in my scribbler; I'd better not provoke her any further.

_Okay, so what the hell was the point of that?_ the Kyodai no Akuma asks me, clearly annoyed by my pointless act of defiance against Uzuki.

_Bothering Uzuki makes her angrier,_ I think in response.

_Yes, I've noticed_, the Kyodai no Akuma sneers.

_Let me finish. When Uzuki gets mad, she sort of. . . changes. It's like her consciousness is kicked out by her adrenaline and her instinct to kill. _

_And how is that going to help any? It's just going to make her want to kill you._

_She also throws out her 'nice' function. Anything that she wanted to say when she was normal but didn't come out because of nervousness is simply thrown out onto the table in a fury. If something is really bugging her, the only way to get it out of her is to drive her up the wall. _

_You're an evil boyfriend, aren't ya? _the Kyodai no Akuma laughs.

_Yep, definitely. But she's not my girlfriend. If she found out the truth about me, she'd never want to see my face again._

_Oh, you mean THAT secret? _the demon laughs in a sly way before continuing, _You're right, she'd probably personally kill you herself if she found out. _

I don't say anything about his last statement. . . because he and I both already know that he's right. If Uzuki found out about what I did, she would never look at me the same way again – she might even kill me with her own two hands. But I guess if she found out, and if she wanted to kill me, I'd let her. I owe her that much.

Like they say, an eye for an eye.

Or in my case, a life for a life.

* * *

"Look, I'm sorry," I apologize to Uzuki as we quickly and fluidly move our way through the crowds of students in the hallway.

"You don't have to apologize," she mutters, but even though I know she's trying hard to hide it, I can still tell that she's upset.

"Sure I do, because if I don't, you'll get mad at me later too," I reply – but this is all just a method to making her even angrier. I know Uzuki well enough – I know what drives her to the edge. "I just don't want the same thing to happen to you again, like last time."

"So, what happened again?" Uzuki asks. I really hope she's joking – she has to know what I'm talking about; there's no way we could be thinking of two different things right now.

"All the weird shit that hit the fan back when we were alive," I tell her, slightly annoyed by her oblivious attitude.

"Oh yeah, that was totally weird shit," Uzuki says with as much sarcasm as possible. But then she frowns, and her hands become clenched into very tight fists, her arms shaking from the force of the tightness of her fists. "No, Mitsuhiro, that was a _nexus_ of shit that hit _various_ fans – or so the saying goes."

I sigh and shake my head at her in disagreement. "You know what I mean. Everything that happened up to your death; all the weird shit that made you go completely crazy."

"Including. . .?" she asks, bringing in the sarcasm again. Good, at least I know that I'm ticking her off. Maybe she'll be able to tell me what's wrong.

"Like Shuto's sickness. And the Angel. And that issue with you becoming so crazy that you heard voices in your head. Not to mention the time you were tied to a tree and beaten until you were bloody and bruised by the Fairy Tree Man." I still can't think about that without feeling sick – I never saw it, but apparently it happened when Uzuki and her two old friends Saichi and Mikumi went Fairy Tree Man hunting. Uzuki ended up getting dragged deep into the woods by some creature – the Fairy Tree Man, as Saichi told me – and was tied to a tree with what appeared to be black bandages. She didn't come to school for a few days after because she had to heal from the horrible cuts that she had all over her arms, face and entire body.

Uzuki stops cold.

_Now I got you._

"That. . . that _thing_ was _not_ the Fairy Tree Man," she growls angrily. "And that is something that you shouldn't even know about – that was a secret kept between only me, Saichi, and Mikumi."

_Almost there. _

"Well, I think you better start thinking over who you trust a little better," I reply as casually as I can before staring at the ceiling like it's an everyday conversation. If I treat it casually, it'll make her think that I don't care about the problem and that will piss her off even more. "Turns out Saichi and Mikumi were scared to death because of what happened to you, and Saichi worried over you just as much as I did – eventually, after a lot of coercing, someone spilled the beans."

"Why did you start worrying about me so much anyways?" Uzuki asks. "You sure have a funny way of showing it. I'm not the one who threw a death threat just an afternoon after we met."

I give her a funny look. "Death threats? I never threatened you." I don't think I did. I saw Uzuki as a human being equal to me ever since I saw her, so why would I threaten her?  
"Yes, you did," Uzuki yells, spinning around to look back at me with the angriest look I've ever seen. Well, at least she's revealing secrets – but I don't think it's the secret I'm looking for. "You threatened me the same day we became teammates in Strategics and Defense – the day you decided to ruin my human life forever! So why should you care? Did you start worrying after the Fairy Tree Man got to me? After you saw how good friends I was with Saichi, or even Makoto?"

I don't reply. Instead I try my hardest to think of something to say to her to calm her down – despite the fact that I'm trying to get her to spill her problems, I hate to see her so upset. I didn't start worrying when the Fairy Tree Man or whatever it was got to her. I didn't start worrying because I saw that she was good friends with Saichi or even Makoto because I'm not really the kind of person to get jealous easily. I guess I started worrying when I first realized that I was in love with her.

"Or was it after I died from something I can't even remember?" Uzuki says.

Now I feel really bad. I grab her shoulders and look deep into her eyes. "I promise you, Uzuki, I never threatened you," I say softly, trying to calm her and myself down. "And whatever it was you died from. . . whatever it was, I wish I could have stopped it so that you didn't have to die. It would have been better if I had been the only one to die, not you as well."

There are so many things that I want to tell this girl, and that includes the secret that I've been keeping from her for so many long years. I really wish I had been the only one to die when it happened – but instead I ended up ripping this girl's human life away.

"When did you start to care?" Uzuki asks again. Now I really need to answer this question.

I take a deep breath. "I guess I started to care when. . . I saw you for the first time when you entered the Hyrule Academy." I guess that's as close to the truth as I can get.

Uzuki stares back at me, and I'm pretty sure I see the dark skin on her face change to a light pink in embarrassment. She turns her face away so that I don't see her embarrassed and nervous expression.

"Forget it," she mumbles. "I'll accept your apology for now. Let's just enjoy the rest of our break." She starts to walk down the hallway again at a quicker pace than usual – she's probably trying to distance herself from me, even just a little. I walk behind her, from a distance that I know she would be comfortable with. Uzuki soon stops me when we make it to the lobby, near the spot where she and her friends used to hang out all the time before she died. It's a small area, but nobody ever hung out around it before so Uzuki and her friends had claimed the spot as their own (along with the spot in the cafeteria that was mostly inhabited by them, with the occasional odd student that had nowhere else to sit during the lunch period).

Yashiro and Shuto are the next to show up. Yashiro is still sulking about this mission, and Shuto. . . I can't really describe what the hell is wrong with him. He still looks just as pale as he did this morning. Personally, I'm not all that worried about him, because I know he's been through worse, but it still raises a few. . . questions.

"This. is. bullshit," Yashiro pouts, crossing her arms angrily and blowing one of her bangs out of her face. "I hate being stuck in this stupid body! I can barely lift anything! Three hundred pounds is suddenly a lot of weight!"

Uzuki shakes her head in disagreement at her best friend. "Yeah, it's a lot of weight to _everyone_, except you, Yashiro," she sighs. "You're just going to have to deal with it and hope that we finish this mission soon."

"How can you be so cool about this?" Yashiro yells back at Uzuki.

"Easy," she answers with a smile. "I just pray to the Goddesses that I don't worship that I'll have easy access to a gun so that I can shoot myself once this is all over."

_Once a depressing emo, always a depressing emo. _The thought makes me sigh in my own form of depression – can't she just be happy with her life for a few minutes?

Yashiro doesn't throw anymore comments at Uzuki – she just looks away so that she doesn't have to respond.

When Link shows up, he's got this weird chick attached to him. In fact, I think I _know_ that weird chick. She really strikes a resemblance to someone I could have sworn I knew – or at least saw often – back when I was in high school for real. If memory serves me correctly, Uzuki became friends with that girl a while before she died – she was a pretty crazy person, even crazier than Uzuki. But because they were both crazy, they got along pretty well. But when I think about it, they can't possibly both be the same person. If I could remember her name, then I could determine if it's the same person or not – but like I said, there's no way the two could be the same, not without her being a Reaper or something.

"Oh, uh. . . who's that?" Uzuki asks Link as he stands next to her, the girl that's clinging to her showing no sign of wanting to let go.

"I'm Sadik!" she exclaims like the happiest person on the earth, pulling Link's arm away from her own. She quickly grabs Uzuki's hands and shakes it vigorously. "Pleased to meet you, Uzuki-chan!"

"Uh. . . pleased to meet you too, Sadik," Uzuki replies with an unsure tone in her voice.

Sadik.

_Even the name rings a bell. Can it really be the same person?_

"How did your first class go?" Uzuki asks Link, taking her attention away from the crazed and attention-seeking girl. "Did you get a good dose of the school life?"

Link lets out a very tired sigh. "I guess it was okay. I just can't believe we have to do this for six hours a day, five days a week. Sounds like a real rip-off if you ask me."

Uzuki laughs in agreement. "Yeah, you'll get used to that."

"I never did!" Sadik groans. "These days are just too long!"

Uzuki smiles – I can tell that she's forcing it because she's probably thinking the same thing as me. "I have days like that too, sometimes. Especially when. . ." Uzuki stops.

_Don't say it_, I think to myself. _Watch your words, Uzuki!_

"Excuse me, I lost my train of thought," Uzuki continues with a laugh. "Especially when Mitsuhiro, Saichi, Mikumi, Luma, Len, and all the rest of our friends left the school. . . then it got really lonely."

Yes. . . it would have been lonely for Uzuki. You could also consider her death something lucky, because of the timing. But. . . no, I can't say that. It's too cruel. She would have been able to live a peaceful life, if I had just stayed out of it.

"The bell's going to go any second now," Uzuki announces. "Yashiro and I have Art next."

Sadik goes into an excited state. "So do I! I'll be accompanying you to Art class, then!"

Link groans, but it's also in a way that sounds pleased – maybe it's the fact that he's finally gotten that girl off his back?

Eventually, the bell rings, and everyone grabs their schoolbags, getting ready for their next class.

"The art classroom is still on the top-" Uzuki begins, but I kick her in the ankle to stop her. It's a funny thing, how quickly and simply we can mess up with the smallest of words – if she had finished that sentence, it would have revealed to Sadik that we've been here before. And Sadik just looks like that kind of person who can figure out our secret – the crazy ones always do. I shake my head at Uzuki telling her to change her sentence. She figures it out quickly and fixes the sentence.

"Uh, I mean. . ." she begins again, "Sadik, you know where the Art classroom is, right? Could you show us where it is?" Indeed, we have to be very careful of what we say.

"I'd be pleased to! Follow meee!" Sadik cheers, grabbing both Uzuki and Yashiro's hands and pulling them up the stairs to the second floor.

When I check my schedule, I see that I have Gym next. And so does Link.

"Ah, so I'm going to be able to kick your ass at Gym class now too, huh?" I tease him.

Link looks at his schedule again. ". . . Dammit," he swears under his breath. But then he shakes his head in disagreement. "No way am I letting you beat me," he challenges.

"Bring it on, fairy boy," I reply, messing up his hair with my hand as I pass him, heading in the direction of the Gym class. The only thing I'm worried about is, like all the other classes in this school, if we have the same teacher. Back when I was alive, my Strategics and Defense teacher, who was also the Gym teacher, was a very muscular thirty-year-old guy named Bruno. Bruno Ruin. Everyone was terrified of him because he was probably the toughest (yet badass) Strategics and Defense/Gym teacher the Academy has ever had. But there was one student several years ago who managed to leave an impression on him, who actually made him think there were still strong people out there in the world.

Me.

And unfortunately, if he's still teaching here, there's no way in the world he's not going to be able to recognize me. I'll have to come up with a decent, but fail-proof lie that will cover me from getting found out by him.

I just have to hope that my luck will pull through for me just this once.

* * *

So far my luck hasn't been great at all.

First of all, Bruno's still here, which is probably the worst possible outcome of all. And by the way he's looking at me, I think he knows that it's me and not someone else who coincidentally looks like his star pupil from way back. Second, which I guess isn't all that bad, but doesn't help for the 'low profile' thing, is that the girls that are in Gym class with me are all swarming around me like rabid fan girls while I try to do my bench presses. Even Bruno is having a bit of a hard time of keeping them away (which is another point that I have to make about Bruno knowing it's me – even back when I was alive and in his Strategics and Defense class, he always controlled the girls and kept them away from me)

In fact, he's even gone so far as to make the "Russel" threat. Russel was this nerdy but admirable – at least for me – student that unfortunately suffered a terrible fate when he objected to Bruno's teaching methods.

"Shut it! Or none of you will see the light of day! Do you want to end up like Russel?"

When Bruno yelled this to the students who complained today, they all smartened up and obeyed his orders, like soldiers ready to go out to war. I still can't believe that Russel's story is still going around the school to this day. Goddess Din knows where he is now, but at least he doesn't have to worry about the entire school remembering who he was and the things he accomplished.

Russel Carlin, an Honour's Graduate of Hyrule Academy – Voted Most Likely to Suffer from Bruno Ruin's Wrath in the Very Near Future.

"I can't believe this old coot is still here," I mutter, lifting the barbel set high above my chest. One good thing has come out of being on Bruno's 'good side' however – I can get away without having to wear a shirt during Gym class (wink wink). Although, it's making it hard for Bruno too because the girls are swarming even more and are flocking around me like cats on catnip, so he has to try harder to keep them away.

"You had this guy before?" Link asks me curiously as he does his own bench press. These barbels are way too light for me and Link. Mine is about eighty pounds, and I think Link's is about fifty. We're so used to lifting heavier things though and working out with much heavier barbels at home that this is a piece of cake.

"Oh yeah," I snicker as I start to do another lift. "Something tells me he remembers me too."

"Hey, girls! Get away from him!" Bruno yells angrily, making the girls jump in fear. "Let the guy do his bench presses!"

The girls all whine in unison and go back to their jogging and push-ups.

"Why do you say that?" Link asks me after Bruno is done scolding people.

"Well, I put quite a mark on his class back when I was in Strategics and Defense with Uzuki, Yashiro and Shuto. He did the same thing too back then – always got the girls to leave me alone. That class was offered last year so we don't need to worry about it this year – I think that class was when Uzuki and I first actually met," I explain.

"Okay, cut the romantic crap," Link says, flashing a quick smile at me.

"Hey, there's nothing going on between Uzuki and me," I growl. "I swear, the 'I'm taken' stuff is just to get the girls away. I'm not lying, this is just like high school when I was alive. I'm just fresh candy for all the girls to fight over."

Unfortunately. Truthfully, I would definitely choose Uzuki, but we wouldn't be able to make anything work right now – it may sound cold, but you never know when one of us could die. So we don't want to get too attached to each other in case something like that happens.

"Ew, really? Must you make a sexual joke like that?" Link groans.

"It's your fault for making it sexual," I laugh back at him, biting my lip to get rid of the sexual thoughts that have suddenly started going through my head thanks to Link's remark. "When it comes down to that, it's probably true anyways."

Link makes a disgusted face. "So it's basically the same way for you this time around like it was when you were alive?"

I do another lift before answering, "Yep, pretty much. The girls are just as annoying too, maybe even worse. But it's not really a good thing either that things are exactly the same way as before."

Link does another bench press. "Why isn't a good thing?"

I do another simple lift. Then, with the barbel set rested on my chest, I turn my neck to the side to look at him.

". . . Because I'm positive ole' Ruin knows it's me."

Link cranes his neck over in the same direction as me, the both of us looking at Bruno, who's drinking his coffee as casually as can be, but glaring back at us, looking ready to attack.

"Are you sure?" Link asks as he does another bench press, the both of us looking back up towards our barbel sets so that it doesn't seem suspicious of us staring back at Bruno.

"Positive," I answer, doing the same thing as Link as I lift the barbels into the air and then rest them against my chest again. "Like I said, I left quite a mark on him back when I was at this school – I was like his golden student, mostly because I was the first one to beat him in a fight. There's no way he wouldn't be able to recognize me."

"So. . . what are you going to do if he asks you a few questions?"

"No idea. I may end up just saying I was related to 'Mitsuhiro' and that he was very close to me when he died." I can't help but crack a smile at my joke. "Of course, with all four of us dead people here, it makes that excuse so much harder to keep up. We may have to erase them or something. . ." Because if he sees me and I give the excuse of being 'Mitsuhiro's' relative, then what will Uzuki, Yashiro and Shuto do if he sees them?

"Hey, no killing people!" Link yells, but still can't hide the small amount of laughter in his voice.

"Not the kind of erasing that kills!" I tell him. "The kind that simply wipes out their memories! I may have to wipe out their memories of us back when we were alive – if we do that, there's no way they can recognize us now."

Link takes a breath of relief. "Good. Remember, we're trying to keep a low profile."

_No shit,_ the Kyodai no Akuma growls in my head. _Geez, he orders you around too much. I can't believe you made that idiot your leader._

_It's because I respect him,_ Kyodai, I reply. _He took my life back from you. I can never thank him or any of my friends enough for doing such a thing for me. And besides, even if he doesn't look it, he is no doubt stronger than me. _

When I do another bench press, the girls erupt into their girly squeals, and the guys all groan under their breath.

"That's his five-hundredth bench press!" one of the rabid girls squeals. Then she laughs and pokes an angry boy's chest. "I told you he could do it! Mitsuhiro-kun is the best!"

Goddammit.

Link gives me an annoyed look."So much for keeping a low profile, Casanova. Why do the girls always swarm to you and not me?"

I smile, although I'm more worried about the fact that they're screaming my name, not the fact that I'm attracting them and Link isn't.

"I dunno, but I think girls like the mysterious, tall, black-haired, quiet-and-cool-type guys better than the hyper-active, idiotic, girly blond ones," I tease him.

"Ha, you're real funny, you know that?"

"I know, it's like I don't even try. And also, I'm not the one wearing a nerdy dress shirt either."

"That's because you're not wearing a shirt at all."

"Duh. I'm a hunk, aren't I?" Okay, so normally I'm not this full of myself, but I just love to make fun of Link. It's that brotherly bond we share.

"Not when the guys chase you down and rip you apart limb from limb."

"You know, it's guys like you that make those crappy-looking guys actually look good," I grumble. Hopefully I didn't take it too far with that one. . . ah well, I don't care. "I feel really sorry for guys like you – you have to deal with the fact that there are magnificent specimen like me around to steal all the women." Goddess Nayru, I sound like the most egotistic person alive right now.

". . . and yet you go for a crazy, alcoholic, perverted, night-owl girl like Uzuki?" Link asks me.

Dammit. I'm so taken off-guard by his words that I end up dropping the barbel set on my chest, knocking the wind out of me and forcing me to glare at Link in disagreement. I really want to rip him apart now.

"I told you there's nothing going on between us!" I growl.

"Uh-huh, sure," Link snickers as he does another lift.

When the class is finally over and the bell rings for our ten minute break, Bruno pulls me aside from the crowd of students leaving the classroom for their lockers and groups of friends waiting to meet up with them. Normally, if he wanted to grab someone, he would have grabbed the neck of his or her shirt and pulled them inside his office. _This_ time however, because of the lack of shirt, he grabs my jean's belt loop with his finger and jerks me back, forcing me to tumble backwards. I manage to catch my balance, but he continues to pull me in by my ass into his small office that's right by the water fountain and the changing rooms.

"Uh, Mr. Ruin?" I ask curiously like I don't know what's going on, but I don't think that's going to do me much good right now. Bruno throws me into the chair by his desk, and then shuts the door, locking him behind it.

"You know, if someone sees you doing this, they're going to think you're sexually molesting me or something. I mean, there's a door right there that leads to the hallway, and it has a _window_," I joke as I point with my thumb to the second windowed-door in his office that leads out to the ninth-grader's hallway, trying to lighten the situation. But it's still not going to do me any good right now, that much is for sure.

"Shut it, Minamimoto," he snaps.

"Excuse me?" I ask again, this time trying to pull the 'Who are you taking about?' act – I'm killing myself in my head though for using the lamest methods of interrogation. But I really don't have much choice.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about, boy!" he yells this time as he slams the palms of his hands down on his desk, a cup of pencils falling over onto the floor. "Don't think that I can't recognize you after all these years! Stop wasting time and tell me what's going on!"

I look back into his eyes for a minute, and then they trail down to my own hands. Then I start to look back up, first looking at the necklace that's hanging around his neck, then the toothpick that looks like it's about to break between his furiously grinding teeth, and then finally into his angry, firm brown eyes.

"How did you know it was me?" I ask stupidly – I guess I could consider it a joke as well, but Bruno doesn't look like he's in the mood for jokes either.

"Of course I knew it was you, idiot!" Bruno yells, the toothpick falling out of his mouth as he bangs his hands against the desk again, but this time as big fists. Small but noticeable cracks form on the spot where his fists had hit the desk. "What I want to know is why the hell you've shown up again!"

"You sure like to show appreciation for an old student of yours that you actually respected as a fellow comrade," I mutter. Suddenly, Bruno's fist makes its way to my face, punching me so hard that my chair flips back and I land on my ass on the floor. I look up at Bruno, who looks ready to kill me now. He cracks his knuckles first, and then his neck. And there's already another fresh toothpick in his mouth.

"What the hell was that for?" I yell back at him as I start to let go of my innocent act.

"For not answerin' my questions, boy!" he growls. "Now, I'm gonna ask you again! What are you doin' here?"

"It's really hard to explain," I reply. "You wouldn't understand-"

This time he kicks me right in the chin, knocking my head back into the hallway door. I black out, but I'm awake again in a split second. I'll end up feeling the shock of that kick later, when all my adrenaline has worn off.

"Answer my question!" Bruno screams. "That is, if you want to leave this classroom alive!"

"Alright, alright!" I rub my chin first, making sure that my jaw bone is still intact. It seems fine, but that will have to be determined later by Shuto. "Look, I know you're kinda freaked out right now, but I didn't intend to let anyone figure me out! Do you know how hard it is to keep a low profile in this damn school?"

"Then why come back?" Bruno asks angrily. "No, an even better question - why are you even here? I even attended your funeral, for Goddess' sakes! How is that _possible_?"

"I know this all seems a little freaky, but please, hear me out," I begin as I start to get up off the floor, picking the chair up with me. "After I got hit by that car way back, I didn't exactly go to heaven, or hell, or wherever you go when you die. I felt so angry during my last moments alive that. . . my hatred ended up consuming my entire being, and I was instead turned into a Reaper."

Bruno stares at me, completely dumbfound by what I just said.

"It's hard to take in, I know, but it's the complete truth. I mean, there's no other way I could be standing here if I was sent anywhere else, right?" I continue.

Bruno shakes his head. "Wait a minute, then what about those other three that I keep seeing everywhere? Kasahara and Takahashi and Kaniji? Are you saying they became Reapers too?"

"I've been actually asking myself that a lot too," I sigh. "Yes, they're Reapers, and we're all here for a good reason – we're fighting against some Reapers that want to destroy Hyrule right now, and they've apparently sent one of their troops here to kidnap students and do something horrible with them. But the fact that all of us became Reapers when we did. . . it confuses the hell out of me."

Bruno sits down in the chair, loosely clasping his hands together and staring down at the floor. "I agree. . . it was a shock, to lose two of our students so quickly on the same day, but then to lose Takahashi and Kaniji as well. . . everyone couldn't believe it. Some people believed that Takahashi committed suicide, because she was found with a gun wound in her head, but everyone claimed that there was no way she could have gotten her hands on a gun that easily."

"No, she didn't commit suicide," I assure him. "She was murdered by someone. She remembers that much – she was also consumed by hatred in her last moments."

"So. . . the rumors about the Reapers were true," Bruno sighs. "You really do become one if you die with revenge in your heart, don't you?"

"I'm afraid so," I reply. "Yashiro wanted revenge against the person that shot her. . . I don't know what Shuto wanted revenge on when he died – I never really bothered to ask him about it when we were first reborn. And I guess I just sorta forgot about it later. . ."

"What about you and Uzuki?" Bruno asks.

"I. . . hmm. . . I guess I wanted revenge against everything. This world to start. I never liked it here," I confess, biting down on my lip. "Especially those idiots that were testing the cars on the open road – if they hadn't been doing that, none of this would have happened."

". . . and Uzuki?" Bruno asks slowly, as if he would regret the answer.

"Uzuki. . .? Huh. Well, during her last few weeks on this planet, she really started to hate this world more and more than usual. And then something weird happened in her head – it was like she knew she was going to die. When she did. . ." I go silent.

". . . Yes?" Bruno asks, shrugging his shoulders for an answer.

". . . If she could remember how she died, then she would want revenge against me," I answer, grabbing the doorknob on the hallway door and opening it slightly.

"Wait just a minute, Minamimoto," Bruno stops me, raising his arm above my head and slamming the door with his hand before I can get it open any farther. "Break's not over yet. I still have a few more questions for you."

I don't look back at him. But he's right – he at least deserves a decent explanation.

"What else do you want to know?" I ask him in a low voice.

"Why the hell are you here specifically?" he asks me.

"I thought I already answered this."  
"I couldn't quite catch it."

I sigh in irritation. "Look, Bruno, I'd love to sit here and play twenty questions with you, but my situation is rather hard to explain."

Bruno looks at the clock on his wall. "You've got five minutes," he tells me.

Realizing that he's not going to let me go even if the bell rings, I turn around, shoving him away and sitting back down in the chair. Bruno leans against his desk, all ready to hear my detailed but quick explanation.

"First of all, Bruno, you are not allowed to tell _anyone_ about this," I clarify, saying the words through gritted teeth while I glare at him so that he knows it's important he listens. "Even you have to pretend like you've never heard this."

Bruno nods and lightly pounds the left side of his chest with his fist. "You have my word, Minamimoto."

I let out a breath, trying to get my words together before speaking. I only have five minutes, so I need to know what to say and how to make it clear to him.

"Alright, the Reapers live in a world called the Dark Realm," I begin. Bruno looks like he's ready to ask another question, but I stop him by saying, "And if you have any questions about my story, I'd be very pleased if you asked me at a later time." Bruno then withdraws from his 'ready to ask' mode and then goes back into his relaxed and listening state.

"As I was saying," I continue, "the Reapers of the Dark Realm are controlled by a Reaper organization called the Society. And one of their rules to keep the balance of light and dark in check is that every Reaper must kill at least three people a month. It doesn't matter if they become Reapers or not, as long as the person dies. Because of this, there is an equal number of people in the Realm of Light and Reapers in the Dark Realm. As for the Twilight Realm and all those other places, we just disregard them – they do their own thing to keep the peace." I continuously and nervously check the clock on the wall every few seconds to make sure I have enough time.

"That means that all four of us, Uzuki, Yashiro, Shuto and myself have been stuck killing people like this since we became Reapers. But we never liked the system, and Uzuki soon found out that they were up to something horrible – the Reapers of the Society wanted to take over the Realm of Light for their own."

Bruno gets a scared but sorrowed look on his face when he hears that; it may just be the thought of me and my friends killing people. We could have just as well killed one of his relatives by now.

"So, because we were the only ones that knew about it, and we wanted to stop it, we secretly formed a group to stop them. But they eventually found out about it, and we were chased down for execution. We managed to escape, and luckily, thanks to Uzuki's ability to bring drawings to life, we were able to construct a home in the forest, where no one could find us. We've been hiding out there ever since."

"Then, upon request of Uzuki, who had been observing him for a while, we found Link – he was the blond one that was with me in Gym class today. He was only about thirteen or fourteen when we found him. He ended up joining our group as well."

"We had a lot of troubles along the way, but we've managed to get through them all up to this point. Link is our leader now. We even have the Princess Zelda on our side."

Bruno flinches in shock and surprise. "S-Seriously? You didn't kidnap her and force the poor girl to work with you, did ya?"

"Nah, she came to us on her own will," I say with a smile, knowing that my reply would make him laugh a little. "She's old friends with Link, but that leads to another story that's just too long for this break. Anyways, the Society has been unusually quiet for the past several years, but that's very worrying for us – to us, it means that they're planning something big."

"Not to mention there's another group that's been running around. You may have seen them or heard tell of them because they tend to stand out a little more than us. They're called the Assassins."

Bruno nods. "Yeah, I heard of em'. I also heard that that lunatic Takahashi brother was a member. You know the one, the short guy with the black hair and the need to cut up everythin' in sight."

"That would be Makoto," I mutter. "Higashizawa joined too."

"That ain't right," Bruno sighs. "Please, continue."

"Well, the Assassins received word about trouble starting up at the Hyrule Academy," I proceed. "But because the Assassins hate our guts and figured that this mission may have had something to do with the Society – which is our problem, not theirs – they decided to give the mission to us."

"That's really all there is to it that I can explain in such a short amount of time," I finish, standing up from my chair. "I really hope I didn't make things too confusing for you."

"Geez, you make me sound like a real idiot when you say that," Bruno laughs. "Nah, I get what you're sayin' and stuff." He walks away from his desk to open the door for me. "Go on, get your butt outta here. And don't go gettin' yourself killed, ya' hear?"

I nod, and then I walk out the door, leaving him behind in his office.

The moment I do, the bell rings.

* * *

The last class of the day is Geography. How fun. I almost wish I had another History class – that class is at least easier to stay awake in. Geography always bugged me back when I was alive, but I had to take it because I had to pass two classes that were placed in the "Social Studies" category. But at least the school day will be over once I get this dreadful class over with. The only problem is that I'm with the fairy boy again. I don't have all that hatred for him that I did way back when we first met him, but really, having three straight classes with him is kind of a bummer. I only have one class with Uzuki, which really depresses me too.

I hear the sound of a very loud tuba failing at a note.

That's another reason why I hate this classroom – the damn band class plays next to us. Of course, that's where Uzuki, Yashiro and Shuto are, but the sound of the rest of the class failing around them makes me feel kinda sick, not to mention annoyed. It sounds like they're trying to play something classical, but the only thing I'm hearing is "Fail Elise" (and for those of you that got that joke, I'm sorry for making such a bad one, but it was the only thing I could think of – Uzuki would surely kill me if she heard me make a joke like that).

Mr. Kline is our Geography teacher (who was also my Geography teacher back when I was alive – for some reason these teachers refuse to retire/quit/get fired and replaced). I guess he's a pretty good guy, but I'm surprised he hasn't retired yet – he's gotta be nearing his late age by now. But who knows? He always looked really old, with his grey hair, slight hunch, and wrinkled hands.

Geography class passes by relatively quickly – I think it's because we end up in this class discussion that ends up crossing over into a History classification. We had started talking about the land structure of Death Mountain, and that in turn lead to a discussion about the evolution of the Gorons, which lead to a discussion about the Zoras, which connected with Mr. Kline's other lesson, the land structure of Zora's Domain and how it came to be. I got pretty immersed in the discussion, but lost my train of thought at one point when I felt a slight rumbling in the floor, which caused me to worry about what had caused it for the rest of the class.

When the bell finally rings, Link and I race out of the classroom to the lobby, where we find Uzuki, Shuto and Yashiro talking among themselves. At least that Sadik girl is finally gone, but Uzuki looks rather tense. Shuto still looks pale, but when you've had continuous classes stuck with Yashiro, anyone would be.

"Reconnaissance time?" Shuto says.

"I thought we were doing recon. . ." Yashiro replies.

Shuto lets out a sigh and shakes his head. "That's what reconnaissance is. . ."

"Uzuki?" Link asks, who can probably sense the discouragement in Uzuki like I can.

Instead, Uzuki smiles at him, and says, "Hey Link. Have a good day at school?"

Link groans. "I'm not even going to speak about that. What about you?"

Uzuki pulls out her sketchbook and begins to draw – but underneath her golden brown bangs, I can see her ice-cold glare of hatred towards me. Even if she doesn't know it, she would have me dead in a heartbeat. But before she takes her revenge on me, I need to tell her.

I need to tell her how she died.

* * *

**Okay, a few references again in this chapter. One, the chapter title. For your mangakas out there, you've probably heard tell of the manga "Highschool of the Dead". I personally don't read it or even like it that much, but the name of the manga popped into my head while I was doing up the chapter guide for The Adult Chapters and trying to come up with a name :/ I also made a reference to the classical piano song "Fur Elise" with a parody, calling it "Fail Elise" (like Mitsuhiro said, a very cheesy and bad joke XD). I think that's it.**


	15. What's So Bad About Being a Geek?

Hey everyone,

Wow, I'm so happy to get these next bundles of chapters up. My internet's been on the fritz (a billing problem or something) so I've been completely devoid of internet for th past couple months. But it's given me plenty of time to get to work on the next chapters that you're about to read. I got a total of five or six done, so you guys will be entertained for the next week or so.

Uzuki Cheverie

**Time Gate: The Adult Chapters**

**Chapter 15: What's So Bad About Being a Geek?**

_8:00 am_

_Tuesday Morning_

_Day 1 _

I'm so excited for going back to the Academy!

I've always enjoyed school – I guess that's something that's always contributed to my 'geek' factor that people always see in me. But I don't mind being a geek, not one bit, because it has its benefits. An example is finding something enjoyable out of school. Me, I enjoy seeing my friends (although, this is something that I looked forward to more when I was alive – now I see my friends every single day), and there are some classes at this school that I really enjoy, like Music and Biology. Although, I have no idea what classes that Uzuki has signed me up for – Mitsuhiro and Uzuki worked out our schedules together, and tried to work it out to all of our likes and preferences, so that we don't have to struggle for no reason (because obviously, it doesn't really matter if we fail or not, but we'd rather not want to have the stress of a hard class on our heads when already we're trying to survive in this death game). I'm quite certain that Uzuki is going to place all of us – excluding Mitsuhiro and Link – into Music, because we were all enrolled in that class from as early as seventh grade up until our last year (the year we all died).

. . . I hope I get to share a class with Yashiro-chan though. She's such a fun person, always smiling and laughing . . . she's pretty too . . .

I shake the thoughts out of my head and continue to pack my school bag. Nostalgic thoughts about school start to kick in again. Has it really been nearly six years since we died? It feels like yesterday when I packed my bag each and every morning, saying goodbye to my parents for the day and then riding my bike to school.

I still remember when I first started to hang out with Uzuki's group of friends, which included Yashiro, Saichi, Mikumi, Takuma, Nobunaga (every once in a while), Peter, Luma, and eventually, Mitsuhiro (I know it's a long string of names to remember, but trust me, she had probably ten times more than this, and _just_ in the school alone – Uzuki had a lot of friends).

I take the strap on my bag and sling it over my head, carrying the bag on my side like a mailman's bag. Then I grab my flute, its metal retracted into itself like an expandable sword, so that it appears to be the size of a piccolo, and I slip it into my coat pocket. Then, after adjusting my glasses, I walk out of the comfort of my small room, closing the door behind me as I head out to the living room, as ready as I'll ever be for my first day back at school.

"Dirt . . .? Gee, that sounds nice," Link says sarcastically.

"Eh, being dirt isn't all that bad," I tell him as nicely as I can, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Look at me – I'm a band geek, a math genius, and I'm studying to be a doctor. You can't get any worse than me. I'm also a four-eye." I tap the side of my glasses to clarify.

"Where are Mitsuhiro and Yashiro?" Link asks impatiently as he looks around the hallway through the crowds of students, trying to locate them. "Has he gotten her out here yet?"

"Nah, she's probably still fighting with him," I laugh, adjusting my glasses again. "She really likes to struggle. . ." Then I lower my voice, practically talking to myself. "It's quite lovely how she's so independent . . . she's very pretty too . . . what an amazing girl . . ."

"Shuto, are you okay?" Link asks me, giving me an odd look.

I start to blush – I didn't think that Link could hear what I was saying. I hope I wasn't too loud. I make a fanning motion with my hand, trying to cool myself down and stop the blushing. "N-No, it's nothing! Nothing at all! Forget I even said anything!"

Link continues to stare, and when I finally start to get at the peak of nervousness in fear of him finding out what I said, he shrugs his shoulders and looks away. I let out a light sigh of relief to myself.

"What is taking those two so dang long?" Link groans. Uzuki groans as well, and starts to rub her head, the usual thing she does when she's getting a sudden headache.

"Just give me a second to find them," she sighs as she spins around and heads away from us, disappearing around the corner. After a few moments of waiting, she finally shows up again, pulling on Mitsuhiro's arm, who appears to be pulling on _Yashiro_ with his other hand.

"Let go of me, you butt face!" Yashiro screams loudly, drawing the attention of the crowd to them. With Uzuki pulling on one of Mitsuhiro's arms, and Yashiro struggling on the other, so Mitsuhiro in the middle looks like he could have his arms pulled right off any second.

Yashiro continues to put up her vicious fight, but eventually, Uzuki and Mitsuhiro manage to bring her to her feet. They both hold onto Yashiro's arms with a deadly-tight grasp so that she can't even try to escape again.

"I said, let me go!" Yashiro yells, this time louder and drawing even more attention to herself from the other students in the hallway.

"Yashiro, just drop it already," Uzuki growls angrily. "We're here now, so there's no point in fighting it. You're stuck on this mission – there's nothing you can do about it. So stop complaining."

Yashiro starts to wiggle around again, her right hand turning into a fist, probably so she can attempt to hit Uzuki for making such a rude comment, but the grasp that the two have on her is way too strong for her to escape – however, had she been in her Reaper form, Uzuki and Mitsuhiro probably wouldn't have been able to accomplish such a hold on her.

"I don't see what you're so freaked out about," Link says. "It's not like you're the only one that has to put up with this crap. Do you think I like being in this getup? Shut it."

"Geez, way to be pissy," Yashiro grumbles as she's released from Uzuki's and Mitsuhiro's grasps.

Link bends down in front of Yashiro, putting on his scary face – it's a face that we rarely ever see, and when we do see it, we hope to never see it again.

"Do you _want_ me to get pissy?" he challenges, his voice growling extremely low. "Don't provoke me. Stop complaining."

I can practically see the hairs on Yashiro's neck stand on end. Then she runs behind Uzuki, and doesn't say another word.

"Shuto, have you worked out the schedule yet?" Mitsuhiro asks me.

I pull out the schedules that Uzuki had told me to take care of earlier, and I hand each one to the rest of the group. "Your schedules," I tell them. "You'd better learn how to read it before class starts."

Link starts to look at his, but he's immediately lost in the sea of charts and timetables. "Help me," he cries.

Uzuki takes Link's schedule and, as simply as she can, starts to explain how to read the schedule. Luckily for us, the schedules haven't changed at all since the last time we were in high school, so we have no trouble figuring out when our classes are. Luckily for me, my first class is History with Mrs. Coin. Then I have Terminian with the infamous Mr. Dean – he's nowhere near retiring or even _thinking_ of letting up easy on his students that dare to walk into his second-language class. But you know, I think he actually likes the high school students better than the junior high students – the high school students always have a smidgen of a better advantage in getting the man to smile before he shoots you the 'get out of my face and go to class' look. But other than that, once you can get on his good side, he's actually a pretty badass teacher. I also have Music class with Mrs. Carp, which I'm quite excited for – it will be nice to play my flute for reasons that don't involve defending my sorry behind. Although, I won't be the least bit surprised if Mrs. Carp is still her normal, sarcastic self; just like the way she was when we first joined band. In fact, everyone knows that the only teachers/people that are actually able to make Mr. Dean smile and enjoy himself are Mrs. Carp; the Social Studies teacher for the ninth graders, Mr. Murdoch; and the English, and sometimes Science teacher for the ninth graders, Mrs. Savens. These people always manage to make Mr. Dean smile. In front of the students, he's a strict and demanding man; in front of the teachers however, he's a fun guy who apparently likes to gamble and is usually the one to arrange staff room bets.

I think the only class that I'm not looking forward to is Chemistry, with Mr. Basset. It's not the teacher or anything like that; I'm just not a big fan of complicated math equations and expressions like the ones that are in Chemistry. I always wanted to be a doctor, so I guess I need to know a bit of math to help me with my studies, but the kind of math that's in Chemistry just hurts my head and literally makes me want to jump off a cliff. Hopefully Mr. Basset teaches the subject in a way that's easy to understand; talking about chemical equilibrium and thermodynamics . . . gah.

Everyone eventually starts to look at each other's schedules to see what classes we share together. I shuffle over to Yashiro to see what she has.

Oh . . . wow. I share three entire classes with her – History, Chemistry, and Music. This has definitely got to be my luckiest semester schedule _ever_! I'm really surprised that Uzuki placed her in Chemistry though. It could be just Uzuki giving her a hard time or an extra push, because Yashiro never liked extreme math like Chemistry; she always settled just for regular math class.

"Don't worry, bud, you'll live," Mitsuhiro says to Link with an encouraging pat on the shoulder. "English class is simple – just pay attention, answer the questions if you know them, and read out loud if the teacher asks you to."

"I have to _read_?" Link exclaims in panic.

Mitsuhiro pats his shoulder for a second time after laughing again. "You'll live. Wait till Math class – then you'll officially be in hell."

"Mitsuhiro, I don't have Math class," Link mumbles after looking at his own schedule again. "I have English, History, Gym, and Geography."

Mitsuhiro glares at him, and then turns around and leaves, grumbling profanities under his breath.

"Don't mind him, he's always hated math," I laugh at Link. Then I turn to Yashiro, who's already scrunched her schedule into a paper ball; is it because she already has her schedule memorized, or because she's really pissed at what classes she got? I'd prefer the first choice.

"We have History together, right?" I ask her.

"Don't make me regret coming here even more," Yashiro grumbles, throwing her bag over her shoulder like a burlap sack. Then she walks off without me, in the opposite direction of Mitsuhiro.

I sigh to myself. I should have remembered the fact that I'm probably the _last_ person Yashiro would want to hang out with. . .

"Shuto, are you alright?" Link asks me curiously, his eyebrows rising in wonder. "You look a little red; and not in a sick kind of way."

Whoops! I was blushing! I swallow down my embarrassment and shake my head, readjusting my glasses afterwards. "Nothing's wrong – nothing at all!" Then I wave goodbye, wanting to get out of there before embarrassing myself any further.

The last thing I need right now is for them to know about my liking Yashiro-chan.

The moment I sit down at my desk, I receive a message from Link on my C.T. crystal.

_Shuto,_

_If somebody asks who you take after in the family, reply with 'mother'. And make sure you tell them that your hair used to be black and that you dyed it blond. Don't reply to this message, just follow my instructions. Uzuki asked me to forward this to you. _

_Link_

Hmm, it's very funny how we can forget things so simple and yet fix these types of problems in less than a few minutes – that's the beauty of us all having C.T. crystals. We also have to hand it to the quick thinking of the person who starts to fix it in the first place, so this time around, it's Uzuki.

I look over at Yashiro, who's also reading a message on her C.T. crystal. She must have gotten the same – but slightly altered – message from Uzuki. Then she puts her crystal away and pulls out her history book . . . and a manga.

History class is quite fun with Mrs. Coin. I always liked her savvy ways and kind personality. But that's not the point right now – I'm also sharing this class with Yashiro, and surprisingly enough, she hasn't hit me yet. But then again, despite the fact that I wanted to sit next to her, I'm sitting all the way on the other side of the room for some reason. I think it's because way back in my mind I know that Yashiro can sometimes be cranky in the mornings . . . _especially_ when she knows that she's stuck back in this place she never wanted to return to and that she's also forced to put up with me for three entire classes. And unfortunately for the both of us, there's nobody else we know in this class to soothe the awkwardness between us, even if we're separated at both ends of the rooms with twenty desks between us.

So to avoid looking at Yashiro and provoking her, I start to look around the class at the other students in here. There's a good balance between males and females in this class, and just like old times, most of the girls are gathered together in their own spot in the corner of the room, their desks all centred in a circle so that they can easily see one another for easy conversation. The guys are all gathered in their own clump of desks as well, chatting about their summer and what they're going to be doing after school and "last week's soccer game".

But even with all the chatter going on around me and the lesson at the front of the class that's being given by Mrs. Coin, I can't help but let my gaze escape to where Yashiro is sitting, her eyes focused on a book that she has hidden inside her History textbook. From what I can tell from way back here, she's reading a manga. She's always been doing stuff like that, but I guess she has more of an excuse this time around because she's been in this History class before and knows everything from last time.

When History class is finally over, I put my textbook back into my bag and then get up from my desk to approach Yashiro. Just to talk to her . . . it will just be a friendly conversation between the two of us. It will be the same as usual – nothing special.

"H-Hey Yashiro," I say to her after tapping her on the shoulder. _No, don't stammer you idiot!_ I think angrily to myself. _It's just a normal conversation! Nothing special whatsoever!_

Yashiro turns her gaze towards me, her eyebrows lowered in annoyance. "What?" she asks me.

_Oh no, here comes the damn blushing!_ I bite down on my lip to try and stop myself, but it's no use. I can already feel my face heating up in embarrassment.

"Um, I-I was just wondering if you understood what the teacher was talking about during History class . . ."

"Do I look like I care?" she grumbles. "I've been in this History class before, and it's not like we're actually attending this school for _real_ – getting good marks is just a waste of time at this point."

Wow, I'm an idiot. Why I even bother trying to start a conversation with a starter sentence like _that_?

"Oh, yes, you're right," I reply. "I-I was just wondering, that's all."

"Well, quit your babbling and let's get out of here. Break time is free time," she mutters, leaving me behind in the classroom.

She's a demon, but she's also a goddess; a demonic goddess. Call me a fool.

"Wait up, Yashiro-chan!" I call, running after her. "Let me walk with you!"

Yashiro lets out a groan. "Pick up your feet then! Stop lazing around back there!"

Hmm, I always thought Uzuki was the one to move people off their butts. But I guess it's not good to keep a girl like Yashiro waiting either. I run up beside her, finally matching her pace of walking so that I don't fall behind. I don't see why she's in such a rush. But it could probably be the fact that she's extremely anxious to get this day over with.

This break consists entirely of hanging out with the group near the agora. Link has managed to drag back this odd looking girl who I'm pretty sure is somebody I know, or at least saw before at one time in my life. Who knows, they could be related – so much that they're identical to each other. Hmm . . . would they both be completely crazy? This one sure is. She's very upbeat and excited, jumping around everywhere for no reason with this big – yet creepy – smile on her face. Uzuki seems a little taken off-guard by her, but I decide to not pay any attention to her. I stand close to Yashiro, away from the circle that Uzuki, Link, Mitsuhiro, and Sadik have formed to have a conversation about their day thus far.

"That chick looks familiar," Yashiro mumbles.

"Yeah, I thought the same thing," I reply. It's not like I'm lying to impress her either; I really do recognize that girl!

"You think she's a Reaper?"

"Could be, but I don't recall seeing her in the Dark Realm . . . I feel like I saw her even before we died."

Yashiro shrugs her shoulders. "Ah well, no point in thinking too hard over it," she sighs as she pulls out a bag of chips from her school bag.

_Y-You don't have to be that carefree about it . . . _I think to myself. _I mean, she really could be one of the Reapers that are kidnapping students . . . _

"So, what class are you supposed to be going to next?" she asks, her mouth filled with spicy chips.

"Terminian," I reply.

Yashiro swallows her chips, and then lets out a loud burst of laughter. "I heard that Mr. Dean is still here! You'll be having lots of fun with him!"

"Oh yes, Mr. Dean . . ." I mutter. "Fun."

"You should have known you'd get stuck with him if you took Terminian."

"I didn't choose to take it – Uzuki was the one that made our schedules, after all. She figured I would do well in Terminian. Not to mention that we need to span out our classes so that we're not all in the same ones – if we are, then it defeats the purpose of us all keeping an eye out for Reapers."

"Hrm, you still have Mr. Dean, though," Yashiro snickers.

"Mr. Dean is awesome . . . to those that he _likes_."

"You'd better hope he likes you then," she laughs.

"I'll do my best to get on his good side," I mutter as I pull my schoolbag back onto my shoulder. When the bell rings, I stray from the group, heading down the hallway to the single Terminian classroom that's just around the corner from the gymnasium. This classroom serves its purpose as the Writing, Leadership, Terminian, and History classrooms – it also acts as a lecture theater, with stairs that cover the entire back wall for people to sit on and watch the teacher in front do his lesson.

As more students file into the room, I notice that I'm the only one of us that's been put into Terminian. Everyone else in this classroom is a complete stranger to me . . .

. . . except for the teacher.

When Mr. Dean enters the room, the students suddenly quiet down and stare intently at the front of the class, awaiting the start of the lesson. Mr. Dean sets down his books on the desk, and looks around, the way he usually does the moment he enters a classroom. Some of the students freeze, fearing that he's staring at them, and when he lowers his head back down to his planner, they all let out quiet sighs of relief.

He scrolls his pen down the attendance list, calling out the names alphabetically, one by one. When he reaches the end of the list, he pulls out a small sheet of paper and looks around again.

"Shuto Kasahara?" he asks.

It takes me a second to respond because of the odd last name, but then I remember that I'm now a Kasahara, so I raise my hand.

"Odd name," Dean mumbles as he stares at me with nerve-wracking eyes that give me a slight chill.

"Um . . . yeah."

He continues to stare at me, not saying a word, but then he finally gives up squaring off with me and looks back down to his papers.

We don't do much during this class, but that's what usually happens in Terminian – Dean will assign a certain amount of work for you to work on, and then you're expected to have it done by the end of class, or at least by the next day. I guess that's why Terminian is so simple; all you have to do is show up, understand whatever lecture he gives you on select days, and finish the work.

But, at one point, I know I'm caught. Mr. Dean travels around the room to check on the student's progress, but he always checks on me the most, and half the time I find him looking over my shoulder with an intense glare.

And then finally, it happens. After the fifth or sixth time of him standing over me, he lifts my scribbler and points out a mistake I had made, but as he sets the paper down, he growls to me, "Get out. Now."

As I close up my scribbler and toss it inside my desk, my head starts to go through the cycles, imagining what he could possibly do to me in the hallway, and why he wants me out there in the first place. There's really only one reason – he knows it's me, Shuto Kaniji.

Some of the students watch me as I get up from my desk, Mr. Dean already out in the hallway. They're already thinking the same thing I am as they watch me walk away: "Mr. Dean called you out to the hallway. You're screwed."

When I step outside the classroom, I find Mr. Dean standing there the way he always does, a stern expression on his face, completely still, and his arms crossed firmly across his chest.

"You . . . wanted to talk to me?" I ask as innocently as I can.

"Kaniji. Cut the act. Now," he mutters.

"So you know? About how I'm a-"

He doesn't let me finish before he pushes the door over from behind me.

"Don't say that word out loud like it's a victory chant," he growls as he returns to his normal stance. "The fact that you're a . . ." His voice drops to a low grunt. ". . . Reaper . . . doesn't seem to surprise me."

It takes me a moment to think of a response. "It doesn't surprise you?"

"Anyone can become a Reaper if they have the hatred when they die . . . but you had no reason to have that hatred in your heart against _anyone_. Didn't you die in a hospital bed?"

"Yes, I did . . . but you see, my friend, Yashiro Takahashi . . . she was murdered by somebody in the alleyways of Hyrule . . ."

"So you sought revenge against the killer? Is that it?"

I can't find the words to speak. What he says is completely true, so I can't object to it.

"Although, even though I'm not surprised, I never would have thought that such a free, pure soul such as you would become a Reaper," Mr. Dean mumbles as he scratches his chin. "But . . . what's past is past, I guess. We can't really change what happened now. What I want to know now is why you're here. If you're a Reaper, then you're only reason for living is to kill people in the Realm of Light so that you can _keep_ living . . . that is, if my knowledge on Reapers is correct."

"Y-Yes, you're right," I stammer. "It's funny . . . I never knew that people in the Realm of Light took much interest in the Dark Realm and the Reapers. You seem to know the basics to it, though."

"A lot of the teachers here studied Reapers when they were in school," he replies in his same steady, low voice. "It used to be mandatory in the curriculum to study Reapers, but the directors of education eventually took it out because they felt that it wasn't a necessary lesson to be taught in school. Nowadays students just figure it out on their own time."

_Like Uzuki . . ._ I think to myself as I remember when Uzuki had been dying to grab a book from Flint Mansel's book store . . . the book was called Reaper, I think. If I remember correctly, Mitsuhiro was the one to give her that book, for her birthday. What ever happened to that book?

"So, why are you here? Are you here to kill somebody in particular?" Mr. Dean asks, his small dark-colored eyes more stern than before.

"No, I . . . my friends and I are here to stop someone, actually," I reply. "There are Reapers that are kidnapping students-"

"One of my students disappeared last year."

I immediately snap my eyes up to him the moment the words are processed through my head.

"What?"

"She disappeared without a trace. Her mother claimed that she was perfectly fine the day before, but that night . . . she was taken right out of her bed."

I force myself to swallow, my head starting to feel heavy. It sounds like something the Society would do. Most Reapers try to kill people in an inconspicuous way, like when they're already on the death bed, or with an accident, so that they aren't found by the people of the Realm of Light, and so that we don't have a huge advantage over their world. We don't want to kill people in a gruesome murderous way; we want to do it as naturally as possible so that the victim can have a peaceful, normal death. There are people that research our kind, like Uzuki, but they don't question our way of life – they accept it as a balance of our world and theirs. For a Reaper to take somebody right out of their bed . . . that would cause a lot of disturbance among the people, and if they weren't careful, the Reaper responsible would probably get punished by the Society for nearly giving away their silent and secret ways of killing people.

"Who got kidnapped?" I ask curiously.

Mr. Dean glances around the hallway, making sure we're alone. Then he leans in to my ear.

"Chiyo Kasahara."

I feel like fainting now. There's no way that those words that he said could be real . . . please, Goddess Din, let me be dreaming! Uzuki's younger sister has been dragged into this mess now? I start to count up the age difference between Uzuki and her sister, Chiyo. Three years. When Uzuki died at the age of sixteen, Chiyo would have been thirteen . . . and Uzuki has been with us for five years, which means she would have been eighteen . . .

I look up at Mr. Dean for clarification. "Wait, if she was kidnapped last year, then that means-"

Mr. Dean stops me. "Indeed. It was her graduating year."

"That's awful!" If she had graduated, she would have moved out from her parents' house, and then she may not have been kidnapped . . . still, if the Reaper had a sole reason for kidnapping Chiyo specifically, then even if she graduated they would have followed her. And I can bet they kidnapped her because of her connection to Uzuki; she's the sister of one of the most wanted Reapers in the Dark Realm right now.

"You were friends with Chiyo's oldest sister, were you not?" Mr. Dean asks me as if on cue.

"Y-Yes, sir," I stammer, still trying to get all of this through my head without throwing up or having a heart attack. I swear, I could do both right now if I wanted to. "Uzuki, she's . . . she's a Reaper too."

"And Mitsuhiro and Yashiro are too."

"Y-Yes . . ."

"It seems too farfetched for this to all be a coincidence," Mr. Dean mumbles. "What trouble have you been getting yourself into, Kaniji?"

And then, all at once, before I can even think of stopping the waterfall of words that tumble out of my mouth, I very nervously and quickly tell him everything that's happened over the past five years, giving him no chance to ask me other questions.

When I'm done, Mr. Dean just stands there staring at me, probably trying to sort out everything I just said. I probably should have slowed down a little, but I guess I panicked.

"Like I said, it doesn't seem like a coincidence that you all died within such a short period of time," Mr. Dean finally says, and I begin to wonder if it was really worth telling him the story if he was just going to go back to his original theory. "Uzuki and Mitsuhiro's deaths were acceptable because it was out of the blue. The murder of Yashiro was out of nowhere too, and it seemed a little stranger because it happened just a week after Uzuki and Mitsuhiro's deaths. And then when you died . . . I knew something was going on. To have so many students, especially when they were friends, die within a month seemed too strange for me to swallow."

"Do you have an explanation for it?" I ask him. We never really took much notice to our deaths after they happened; we really just got over it and moved on. But now that I think about, Mr. Dean makes a good point – we were all friends, and we all died around the same time.

"Uzuki and Mitsuhiro's deaths were acceptable. But Yashiro's death? This killer must have just started his killing spree when he shot her, and even so, she was the only one that was murdered, and the killer was never found, or even announced to the public. Was she really shot?"

I fall silent.

"And what about you? You were perfectly healthy, and then the next day you ended up in the hospital, and died a few months later. The doctors didn't even know what disease you had."

I still can't find the words to speak. Everything he's saying is true. I got sick so quickly . . . and Yashiro got shot by some guy who only killed one person and wasn't even announced to the public . . . just to the people who were related to Yashiro, or at least close to her. And Mitsuhiro and Uzuki . . . their deaths may have been more coincidental than me and Yashiro's, but their deaths did spark the string of events that happened afterwards.

"I'm not saying you should believe that your deaths were set up or anything like that," Mr. Dean cuts in. "But it is something to think about."

I nod. "I know. And about Chiyo . . . I'll tell Uzuki about it, and then we'll try and find her."

Mr. Dean smirks. "That would be very much appreciated. Thank you." Then he does something that he doesn't do to a lot of people. He smiles. It only lasts a second, but I can tell that he means it; he trusts me wholeheartedly.

"Now get back into class," he grumbles the moment his smile ends. "And stay out of trouble."

I give him a thumbs-up. "You can count on me, sir."

"Hey, check out what happens when I mix cesium with water!"

The entire class jumps back in surprise.

"Yashiro, don't-!" I begin, but it's too late. She's already poured the two substances together.

All twenty-five students, including me, stumble out of the classroom, holding our shirts over our noses and mouths to prevent the gas in the air from getting into our lungs. We all get to the floor, knowing that the gas will rise to the ceiling. The teacher, Mr. Basset, crawls out the door behind us, counting us up to make sure everyone got out alright. The only person who hasn't gotten out is Yashiro, but personally, I don't think anybody else wants her to come out alive after what she just did.

"Is everyone alright?" Mr. Basset asks frantically as he herds us like sheep away from the cloud of gas that's risen to the ceiling.

"I think so," I reply.

We watch as Yashiro emerges from the room, a triumphant smile on her face and a beaker in her right hand.

"That was fun!" Yashiro giggles. "Let's do it again!"

"NO!" the class screams in a chorus.

"Yashiro, what were you thinking?" I ask her angrily. "You could have killed us all!"

She shrugs her shoulders. "Pfft, yeah, right. Look at me, I'm still alive."

I roll my eyes at her. "That doesn't matter, Yashiro! That was dangerous! The explosion was big enough let alone the gases! I think you just set an earthquake loose throughout the entire school!"

"Huh, that's weird. I'm still bored," Yashiro mutters. She turns to Mr. Basset. "Know any other good mixtures, Doc?"

Mr. Basset glares at her, and guides us down the hallway without saying a word to Yashiro.

I remain where I stand in my opinion of Yashiro – a demonic goddess.

Good ole' Mrs. Carp. I remember back in seventh grade when I first entered her class. I was excited and anxious to get started with my musical career.

And then Mrs. Carp trampled all over my good mood. It came as easily as squishing a bug to her. Don't get me wrong, she's a nice person. But she's very sarcastic; and strict when she has to be. She can also be quite sassy if you test her. But all in all, she's like a second mother to me; she's been a second mother to all the students who have taken her class long enough to be considered one of her 'children'. When I was alive, my class drove her crazy, and she did the same to us sometimes. But we enjoyed her stories about her children and about how we were her 'favorite class' and that she would have a good speech lined up for us when we played our final concert in grade twelve. I often wonder what speech she made for the grade twelve music class that I would have been in had I not died.

So I feel like I'm back at home again when I walk through the door of the Music classroom, Mrs. Carp greeting us all at the door. She has that look on her face that says, "Hello, students! Welcome to the bright and happy world of band class! I hope you've prepared to donate lots of blood, sweat and tears to this class!"

I smile when I meet Mrs. Carp.

"Hi, I'm Shuto Kasahara," I tell her. "Pleased to meet you."

"I heard you're an experienced flutist," she says immediately.

"Yeah, I even have my own instrument too."

"Okay, go sit down," she giggles. And here comes the sarcasm. "Don't mind the other students if they stare at you; that's just how they say hello."

"No problem," I snicker as I walk by her. I walk up next to Yashiro, and then I realize she still smells like cesium/water gas, and if she smells like that, I probably still do too.

"Ugh, Yashiro, what's that smell?" Uzuki coughs as she holds her hand to her nose.

"I blew up the Chemistry lab!" she exclaims triumphantly.

"You _what_?" Uzuki asks in a panic.

I shake my head to intrude, adjusting my glasses before I explain. "Yashiro thought it would be smart to mix cesium with water.

Yashiro suddenly whacks me hard over the head. "Hey, I did it on purpose! I've always wanted to blow up that place!"

Uzuki groans. "Goddess Din, Yashiro!" she growls. "I knew signing you up for Chemistry was going to backfire . . ."

Yashiro smiles and claps her hands together. "Thank you, Uzuki-chan!" she says happily.

"Such a bad idea . . ."

I go ahead and pull the pieces of my flute out from its case, cleaning the inside of the parts with the white rag that's folded neatly inside.

"Uzuki, you should clean your flute out as well. It hasn't been played in a while, has it?" I ask her.

"You're right. I hope this thing still works right," Uzuki snickers. I pass her my cloth, and she uses it to clean the outside and then the inside of her flute. When she pulls the cloth out, it's stained with black gunk and grey smudges.

"Ew, that's nasty," Yashiro snickers as she points at the cloth.

"Tell me about it," Uzuki mutters. She eyes Yashiro for a moment. "But wait, what are you going to do, Yashiro? You don't have your clarinet anymore."

Yashiro stands up from her seat, spraying a fresh cloud of the scent of cesium/water gas from where she had been sitting. "I'll just go tell Mrs. Carp. She probably has a spare." Then she heads to Mrs. Carp's desk, leaving Uzuki and I alone to clean our old, dirty flutes.

"So is that why there was an earthquake?" Uzuki asks me. I wasn't aware that the tremor that Yashiro had set off had disturbed other classes such as Uzuki's.

"Most likely," I answer as I squint inside the middle piece of my flute, making sure that it's clean enough to play. "I swear, that girl is going to get us in serious trouble. She needs to focus on the mission."

"I see what you mean," Uzuki says. "But I guess it can't be helped – we're stuck doing this mission, so we may as well have a bit of fun with it."

I attach the three pieces of my flute together, and then I test it by playing a quick note. "As long as she doesn't get hurt doing something stupid . . ." I sigh in worry. I start to play a chromatic scale on my flute, trying to keep it as quick and fluent as possible.

"Oooh, are you worried about her?" Uzuki teases me, giving me a dirty look.

I immediately turn red, but I'm able to come up with a decent excuse. "Duh! I'm worried about the entire team!" I laugh. "I just don't want anything bad to happen to any of us!" Uzuki doesn't look very convinced right now.

"Uh-huh," she mumbles as she begins to play a few notes on her flute, followed by an excerpt from one of her favorite songs. "Sure thing. I guess that excuse will work for now."

"I-It's not an excuse!"

"Ha, you stammered! It so is an excuse."

"N-No it's not!"

Then I see the pupils in Uzuki's eyes grow out into circles. Curse her and her ability to read auras; I may as well just be carrying a sign around that says, "I LIKE YASHIRO."

Yashiro, Uzuki and I leave the music room together. I'm the only one that takes my instrument with me, mostly because I'm more worried about having it as a defense mechanism than spending my fifteen minutes at home practicing, as instructed by Mrs. Carp. We only have to wait in the lobby for about a minute before Link and Mitsuhiro come charging in.

"Reconnaissance time?" I ask when the two boys have joined our circle.

"I thought we were doing recon . . ." Yashiro mutters.

I sigh and shake my head at her. "That's what reconnaissance is . . ."

Oh yes, I do quite love Yashiro.


	16. Extra Cesium, Please!

**Time Gate: The Adult Chapters **

**Chapter 16: Extra Cesium Please!**

_8:30 am_

_Tuesday Morning_

_Day 1_

"Mitsuhiro, let go of me, you jackass!"

Mitsuhiro tightens his grip on my arms. If I wasn't in my human form right now, I would so be strong enough to break out of his hold and rip him right in half . . .

"Yashiro, stop it," he growls. "You don't see Uzuki complaining."

"Uzuki is a bitchy, anorexic, big-boobed whore!" I scream. "And she's your girlfriend to boot! Of course you'd use her as an example!"

"Look, I don't care what accurate facts you can spit out about her, it's not going to make us not take the mission!" Mitsuhiro snaps. "And she's _not_ my girlfriend!"

"At least you know they're accurate!" I reply. I know she's my friend and all, but we're so opposite of each other that if we were together too long we'd probably kill each other. I meant every word I said; she complains a lot and can be a complete bitch _all the time_; she barely eats a goddamn thing so she's way underweight and refuses to let you buy her anything to eat; her boobs are _way_ too big for her small, fragile size; and she's so dirty-minded and flirty sometimes that she can basically be described as a whore! If you don't believe me, you should have seen how many dudes she had under her thumb when she was alive – Mitsuhiro, Saichi, Peter, Flint, and even Makoto to a very, very, _very _far point. I'm not saying she went out with all these guys, but she had this way to control them . . . fucking scary if you ask me.

"Move your ass, Yashiro!" Mitsuhiro yells at me. "I know you don't want to do this mission, but we all have to do it! We're not giving you or anyone else any special treatment, so get a move on!"

I kick him hard in the shin, causing him to fall forward. Before I can escape, though, he's grabbed onto the scarf that's tied around my neck, and in one pull he has me back into his arms, wrestling me to the floor. Like I said before, if I wasn't in my human form right now, I could take him easily, but in this form all my strength is gone and I'm as weak as a regular female human being.

"Stop trying to fight, Yashiro," Mitsuhiro grunts. "You know that you're weak in your human form! I can hold you down easily!"

I reach in all directions with my hands, but he has them held down with his own hands, and he soon has my arms pinned against my back.

"Dammit . . . Mitsuhiro, please let go!" I cry.

"Nice try, but I'm not going to let you go out of sympathy either," he sneers.

"Why is Uzuki dating you in the first place? You're a complete jackass!"

"I told you, we're not dating!"

"I think she was better off with Peter! And Peter was an idiot!"

Mitsuhiro tightens his grip on me. "Don't you go comparing me with that annoying, poetic softy!"

"I just did! Now let me _go!_"

"You've got another thing coming if you think I'm going to let you go!" Mitsuhiro yells as he begins to push me down the hallway. I try to stop him by sticking my feet to the floor, but it's no use; he slides me down the hall, my feet skating along the smooth brick floor.

"Alright, alright, I give up!" I finally sigh.

Mitsuhiro stops. "Ha, very funny. I'm not falling for that either."

"I'm serious, Mitsuhiro! There's no point in fighting . . . I may as well just get it over with."

Mitsuhiro leans his chin on my shoulder, and smirks at me. "Yashiro, I'm not an idiot like Peter, remember?"

"Oh really? I thought you were."

And then, before he can retaliate, I trip him to the ground by sliding my right foot in a perfect half-circle through his legs. He doesn't fall all the way, but it's enough for me to try and escape. What I don't anticipate is Uzuki, who comes walking around the corner ready to tie me down.

"Get out of my way, Uzuki!" I yell at her.

"I don't think so!" Uzuki challenges as she lunges at me. Now, I'm admitting this as a fact: I'm stronger than the bitchy, anorexic, big-boobed whore when it comes to raw strength, but when it comes to fighting . . . well, she's a bit better at it. Because let's face it – I'm a klutz. Uzuki's pretty coordinated, not to mention she thinks when she throws her punches, plus she took fighting lessons from her brothers and paid attention a lot more in Strategics and Defense class when we were alive . . . so she has a bit of the upper hand, even when she's in her human form. That's one reason why she's ranked higher than me in the Time Keepers. Mitsuhiro grabs onto my arm, and then Uzuki grabs onto him so that I can't pull him over. And try as hard as I might, the two of them overpower me, and end up pulling me out into the hallway where the rest of the group is waiting in their dorky school clothes.

"Let go of me, you buttface!" I scream. I have to admit, it's not one of my better insults, but it's the only thing I can really come up with in a few measly seconds. I start to kick at them, but eventually they put me into a hold where Uzuki is holding one of my arms and Mitsuhiro is holding the other.

"I said, let me go!" I scream louder this time.

"Yashiro, just drop it already," Uzuki growls at me. "We're here now, so there's no point in fighting it. You're stuck on this mission – there's nothing you can do about it. So stop complaining."

I want to punch this bitchy, anorexic, big-boobed whore in the face right now. I try to break myself free so that I can place even just _one _punch on that face of hers, but sadly enough, their grips are too tight and I can't break my punching hand free.

"I don't see what you're so freaked out about," Link sighs at me. "It's not like you're the only one that has to put up with this crap. Do you think I like being in this getup? Shut it."

"Geez, way to be pissy," I grumble as Mitsuhiro and Uzuki finally release my arms.

Link bends down so that his eyes are meeting with mine, with the most serious expression I've ever seen on his face.

"Do you _want_ me to get pissy?" he growls. "Don't provoke me. Stop complaining."

Scary. I shuffle over to Uzuki and hide behind her so that I don't have to deal with the angry blond-haired fairy in the dorky clothes.

"Shuto, have you worked out the schedule yet?" Mitsuhiro asks.

Shuto hands each of us a piece of paper with the schedules drawn on them. "Your schedules," he tells us. "You'd better learn how to read it before class starts."

As Uzuki begins to explain to Link how to read the schedule, I start to read it myself so that I can see what classes I have. I don't really care what I get because our marks don't really matter right now, but I'd like to get a class that I like so that the time goes by faster. According to my schedule, I take History and Art in the morning, and then Chemistry and Music in the afternoon, after lunch. I like History. And I really like Art. Music's okay. What about Chemistry? I'll have to figure out something to do in that class . . . well, I never got a chance to try it when I was alive, so I may as well do it now – I'll just go ahead and blow up the classroom. It'll be fun, no doubt about that.

Shuto eventually comes up to me, a dorky smile on his face.

"We have History together, right?" he asks me.

Sweet Goddess Din. I knew there had to be some downside to having so many good classes this semester.

"Don't make me regret coming here even more," I grumble angrily as I sling my bag over my shoulder like a messenger bag. Then I walk down the hallway, towards the classroom which I'm pretty sure still has History.

When I'm in the classroom, I immediately sit down in one of the desks that are pushed against the side wall, near the door. Then I pull out both my History book and a manga to read in case this class is agonizingly boring, which it probably will be. The problem with taking History is that I already took it, so I already know everything that we're going to learn. Mrs. Coin walks into the classroom with a clipboard clutched to her chest, and begins to file through her papers for today's lesson.

My C.T. crystal suddenly vibrates. When I answer it, I see the message that Uzuki sent me.

_Yashiro,_

_If somebody asks who you take after in the family, reply with 'mother'. I'm going to be the one taking after our 'father', and you and Mitsuhiro are going to be the ones who take after 'mother'. As for Link and Shuto, don't worry about them, they have it under control. Just don't do anything to give us away._

_Uzuki_

Geez, she treats me like such an idiot all the time. _"Just don't do anything to give us away,"_ she says. I'm pretty sure I can do that. Although, I guess I'm pretty thankful for her message, but I doubt anyone will be asking which parent I take over. But just in case . . .

I shut off my crystal and stuff it back into my pocket, pulling up my manga and History book at the same time so I can hide the book that I _want_ to read behind the book that I _don't_ want to read. That ought to fool Mrs. Coin for now. I'd rather read _Ultima_ than an excerpt from _The Scriptures of Nayru, Goddess of Wisdom_.

As Mrs. Coin gets into her lecture, I end up getting bored of _Ultima_, so I grab the little comic book that Uzuki put together of all our friends, new and old.

_Kon: Hey Uzuki, can I ask you a conjectural moral question?_

_Uzuki: Does it involve your growing and puberty?_

_Kon: No._

_Uzuki: Then you may ask this question._

_Kon: Let's say, hypotheticaly, I broke something that belonged to someone else. Should I tell that person?_

_Uzuki: Then, hypothetically, you should tell the person what happened._

_Kon: Well, hypothetically, let's say it's pretty bad. Like, to the window in the living room, hypothetically. _

_Uzuki: How bad, hypothetically, to the window?_

_Kon: Well, let's pretend it was REAL bad._

_Uzuki: Would you pretend like it was fixed_

_Kon: If we imagined the person's reaction, we would HAVE to pretend it was fixed._

_Uzuki: Considering how bad you claim this to be, I would, hypothetically, either apologize and try to make up for the broken window, or I would act innocent._

_Kon: Okay, thanks for the tip. –walks away-_

_Uzuki: No problem, kid._

_Uzuki: . . . !_

_Uzuki: Wait a minute! What did you do to my window, Kon?_

I laugh under my breath. That's one of my favorite ones, but there are a ton of good ones in here that are fun to read. It's funny because a lot of the comics in here are based off real-life situations; Uzuki's jokes are all inspired by things that happened to her at one point in time. Like the one where Uzuki got drunk and thought that a wooden pole was Higashi-kun. And she got so drunk that she thought Mitsuhiro was the Fairy Tree Man, and she ended up giving him twenty rupees, which worried him deeply. Or the one where Makoto said he would only talk to Uzuki as long as she stayed out of his 'personal space bubble'. She kept backing up, and he kept going, "Further . . . further . . . furtheeerrr . . ." and didn't stop until she was almost two blocks away. It's funny how much Makoto and Uzuki hate each other, and yet they still go far enough to watch out for each other whenever possible. It's just that strange bond that they share, I guess. And they're the only two people I can think of who get along only when they're put on the spot; so when they're both about to pull someone's ribs or intestines out, for example. The thrill of killing and going completely nuts makes them somehow forget their hatred for each other and just get along like friends should. Those two are so out there with their mentally disturbed minds and lust for blood and death that I'm surprised they don't get along in the first place . . . but maybe if you have two people that are too much alike in the same room – especially when they're two mentally disturbed people like Uzuki and Makoto – it gets a little dangerous. But they obviously have their reasons to hate each other, so I like to stay out of their way whenever possible.

I think Uzuki shares those love-hate relationships with a lot of people. She's one of those people that make good first impressions. But you really have to hang out with her for a long time to realize what a bitch she can be . . . a backstabbing hypocrite, to be precise. She has so many personalities and moods that she could love the way you act and talk one minute, but then it quickly gets on her nerves and she goes all rage-mode on you for being so weird and annoying. She gets fed up pretty quickly, and bored even quicker than that. That's why she likes to hang out with the mentally-insane more than the regular people. The ones with OCD and multiple personality disorder and schizophrenia are always fresh and fun for her; they're always doing something new, something out of this world . . . something that only a lunatic like Uzuki would do. But like I was saying, she has a lot of love-hate relationships. Saichi, Makoto, Peter . . . me. She loves us, but sometimes she just wants to strangle us and rip our guts out (and this refers to some more than others). But Uzuki and I do our best to get along. When it comes down to it, things would be pretty boring without that bitchy, anorexic, big-boobed whore.

By the time class is over, I've managed to read through half of Uzuki's comic book. The day is going by slow so far, so I'm hoping it picks up speed later on. Chemistry class ought to be bundles of fun. But before I can make it out the door to freedom, Shuto catches up to me.

He taps me obnoxiously on the shoulder. "H-Hey, Yashiro," he stammers.

Dammit. I don't find anything wrong with Shuto at all, don't get me wrong, but I don't want to stop to chat with anyone right now . . . I'm in a bad mood and I just want to get this day over with.

"What?" I snap at him.

"Um, I-I was just wondering if you understood what the teacher was talking about during History class . . ."

_Is this idiot blushing? _I think angrily to myself._ Sweet Goddess Nayru, he's annoying!_

"Do I look like I care?" I growl at him, being sure to sound extra grouchy so he can get the hint. "I've been in this History class before, and it's not like we're actually attending this school for _real_ – getting good marks is just a waste of time at this point."

He goes from tomato-red to a sick kind of flushed color. "Oh, yes, you're right," he replies instantly. "I-I was just wondering, that's all."

"Well, quit your babbling and let's get out of here. Break time is free time," I mutter before leaving him behind as I walk right out the classroom door.

"Wait up, Yashiro-chan!" he calls, and then he's suddenly next to me as he tries to match my pace. "Let me walk with you!"

_Oh, go away! _I let out an exaggerated groan. "Pick up your feet then! Stop lazing around back there!"

Shuto follows behind me like a little puppy as we push our way through the crowds of students in the hallway, making our way to the door near the agora where we used to always hang out when we were alive. It's nice to know that our little spot hasn't changed. We had a million different spots when I was alive – our own table in the cafeteria, the doors near the agora, the seats in the corner of the library . . . it was great having such a reputation around the school, even though it wasn't really all that good.

I guess I'm really thankful for the breaks that are put in between each class. It gives me a chance to recuperate and calm down for a few minutes before the next class. Everyone is with us eventually, including this odd looking girl who I'm sure I've seen before. She's clinging on to Link even worse than Shuto clings on to me, and she doesn't look very sane based on that look in her eyes. That's the same look that Uzuki had in her eyes . . . before she _died_. I feel like I've seen her before though, and that's no lie. Uzuki and I have Art class together next so . . . I might be able to ask her about it then. If that girl shares Art class with us though, I may not be able to, so I just have to cross my fingers and not jinx it.

"That chick looks familiar," I mumble to Shuto, figuring he might know a thing or two about it because I can't remember for shit.

"Yeah, I thought the same thing," he replies. Thank the Goddess Din it's not just me then . . . unless the idiot's trying to impress me by _pretending _he knows . . . but Shuto's smart, so I don't think he'd do something like that. But then again, it _is _Shuto . . .

"You think she's a Reaper?" I ask.

"Could be, but I don't recall seeing her in the Dark Realm . . . I feel like I saw her even before we died."

I shrug my shoulders. "Ah well, no point in thinking too hard over it," I sigh as I pull out a fresh bag of chips from my school bag. It's been a long time since I've had any quesadilla chips, so I'm dying to have some right now. The stupid teachers won't let me eat in class.

"So, what class are you supposed to be going to next?" I ask before swallowing down a mouthful of chips.

"Terminian," he answers.

I wait to swallow my chips before I let out an explosion of laughter. "I heard that Mr. Dean is still here! You'll be having lots of fun with him!"

"Oh yes, Mr. Dean . . ." he mutters sarcastically. "Fun."

"You should have known you'd get stuck with him if you took Terminian."

"I didn't choose to take it – Uzuki was the one that made our schedules, after all. She figured I would do well in Terminian. Not to mention that we need to span out our classes so that we're not all in the same ones – if we are, then it defeats the purpose of us all keeping an eye out for Reapers."

"Hrm, you still have Mr. Dean, though," I tease.

"Mr. Dean is awesome . . . to those that he _likes_."

"You'd better hope he likes you then," I laugh. I'm pretty sure he was expressing the stressed 'likes' to me . . . because we're both totally unsure if Mr. Dean actually liked me when I was alive. It's hard to tell with him, considering he never, ever, _ever _smiles.

"I'll do my best to get on his good side," Shuto sighs as he picks up his school bag. After the bell rings, I follow behind Uzuki, who's being pulled on by that strange girl who came here with Link. If luck _isn't _on my side, she's probably in Art class, which very much sucks because I wanted to ask Uzuki what her story was, just in case she knew.

Surprisingly enough, Mrs. Liscen is still teaching Art here. She was kinda getting near the age of retirement when Uzuki and I were alive, so when I see her standing at the front of the class, I feel a little happy . . . and somewhat pissed off. I really wish there could have been more, I dunno, _new_ teachers here. All the teachers I've seen so far though are ones that I had when I was alive, which means that I'm probably going to get caught eventually; then I'll have to dive into the details about how I'm a Reaper and blah, blah, blah. And something tells me that's not going to sink in well with the teachers.

"Alright, class," Mrs. Liscen begins after we're all sitting down at our tables. "Today, we are going to be focusing on architectural drawings. But before I start with the lesson, I'd like to introduce two new students of mine." Then she waves her hand straight at Uzuki and I. Crap.

"Please, introduce yourself to your fellow classmates," Mrs. Liscen says with a calm smile.

"My name's . . ." Uzuki starts, but then she stops for a brief second. She must be stuck on what to say. Uzuki was one of Mrs. Liscen's favorite students back when she was alive, so if she introduces herself as Uzuki Kasahara, she's screwed.

"U-Uzuki Kasahara," Uzuki stammers. Wow – that was probably the bravest yet stupidest thing I've ever seen Uzuki do in a long while. Surprisingly enough, though, Mrs. Liscen doesn't say a thing. Then she looks at me to introduce myself.

I stop, and look at Uzuki first; she slightly shrugs her shoulders, urging me to just introduce myself. I take a deep breath before smiling at Mrs. Liscen and announcing my name.

"I'm Yashiro," I say. "Yashiro Kasahara." _Because we all have to be in the same dang family . . . dammit,_ I think to myself in annoyance.

Uzuki and I both sit down, Mrs. Liscen still smiling at us as she pulls out a large piece of paper and clips it to the chalkboard. It takes me a second to notice, but then I realize that the paper has the same drawing that Uzuki did for Mrs. Liscen back when we were alive. It's a picture of a tavern, but it's extremely detailed and well-drawn; in fact, I remember it being one of Uzuki's best art pieces of her grade eleven year.

But as I stare at the drawing on the board, I start to wonder if Mrs. Liscen is playing some kind of game with Uzuki. Does she know who Uzuki is? She probably does. And that's just going to ruin things for us. Hopefully the teachers that know who we really are can keep their mouths shut.

"Notice the attention to detail in this drawing," Mrs. Liscen says as she points to specific spots on the drawing with the eraser side of her pencil. "The artist that did this was very young. It took her only a week to finish it, but she worked extremely hard on it. Now, I'm not expecting you all to be able to draw things like this right away," she giggles with a smile. The class laughs in response. "But I do want you to try your best. We'll be covering the basics of how to do drawings like this by using our previous lessons of two-point and three-point perspective, along with quick sketches and guides."

Even as everyone else is taking out the sketchbooks and pencils, I continue to stare at the drawing clipped to the chalkboard. I feel so provoked to hurt Uzuki right now, but the most I can manage without breaking any rules is leaning over to hear and whispering, "I hate you." All Uzuki has done by drawing this magnificent drawing of a tavern is set up an extremely hard and probably nearly-impossible challenge for me. Uzuki smiles back at me. She knows exactly what I'm thinking; this drawing is way too damn hard for me to do. But I eventually start anyways, just so I don't give Uzuki the satisfaction of an easy kill. She hates it when she gets an easy kill anyways. That's another thing that makes Uzuki and Makoto so alike – they like their kills to be long and enjoyable, and they hate it when their victim doesn't suffer. As I try my best to create a sketch of the house, I start to look at what everyone else is doing. The students around me aren't doing much better than me either. Sadik is sitting next to me, and all she seems to be doing is coloring a million sheets of white paper with dark colors of pencil crayon. I guess Uzuki and I will just have to let Sadik do her own thing.

By the time class ends, I've only just finished the damn sketch of the house. It was hard enough getting the perspective on it . . . every time I'd check over it, something would be a little bit off, and it would look funny. I really don't like it when something is a bit off . . . it really sets me off.

I'm just picky that way, I guess.

As I'm walking through the lobby towards the cafeteria, I'm surprised to see Uzuki walk out the front doors. I can tell she's going out to lunch, but why is she going out alone? And it doesn't make sense that she'd be going out on the first day of school, when we've just gotten here and we should be keeping an eye out for Reapers. And it's not like Uzuki eats to begin with, so why would she go out to lunch?

I'm the first one at the table; the second one to appear is Shuto.

"H-Hello, Yashiro," he stammers. "How was Art class?"

"It was alright," I mutter. "But it would have been better if Mrs. Liscen hadn't made us try to recreate a drawing that Uzuki did for her back when she was alive."

A look of panic flashes on Shuto's face. "Oh no, did she know it was Uzuki?"

"I don't know. Maybe. Either way, it was fucking hard trying to recreate that drawing. Do you remember that architectural drawing that Uzuki did when she was alive . . . the one she submitted to the art club?"

"The tavern one?"

"Yeah, that's the one. Mrs. Liscen is teaching us architectural styles, so she actually put up the drawing that Uzuki did and told us to study it and try to recreate it."

"Yikes. That must have been fun for you."

"I think that girl that was hanging around with Link was the one having the most fun," I snicker. "She just colored, like, sixty sheets of paper."

Shuto sits down next to me. "Well, Mrs. Liscen really just wants you to make good use of your time in class . . . I guess that girl had something important she had to use the class time for."

"Whatever," I sneer as I pull out the half-filled bag of chips that I opened earlier at morning break.

Link and Mitsuhiro eventually show up, and drop their bags next to the table before sitting down.

"Hey, where's Uzuki?" Link asks curiously as he begins to look around the cafeteria for her.

"She went out to lunch . . ." I reply, ". . . for some odd reason. It's not like she eats anyways, so I don't see why she had to leave all of a sudden. She left with that Sadik girl."

"Think she'll be alright on her own?" he asks me nervously.

I laugh at his dumb remark. "She knows how to take care of herself. Believe it or not, that girl used to hang out with all the whores, skanks, and smokers a lot back when she was alive. I guess you could say that's partially what's screwed up her mind so much today, not to mention all the vodka coolers, mangas and too much free time to think and argue with herself to add to that."

"That seems . . . rather pleasant," Link mutters with an unsure tone.

It's completely true, really. Like I said before, Uzuki finds it boring hanging around all the normal people, so to get her fun, she hangs out with all the mentally-unstable and dangerous people whenever she can. She did it a lot when she was alive too. There was an entire group of people she loved to hang out with when she was alive. She didn't smoke or anything like they did, but she had her way of charming them and getting on their good side. I think it was because she knew she was fucked in the head like the rest of them. Sure, Uzuki is a nerdy mangaka, who is smart when she has to be, and very polite and mature when she's around adults and people of higher status, but on the flip side, she's a carefree, perverted, wild, crazy, lustful – and let's not forget skanky – bitch. She can get along with anyone pretty easily, because she has so many damn personalities and moods to herself. She can get along with the comic book nerds because she tends to read a lot of those comic books whenever she has the time to. She can get along with the girly-girls who are all fashion and makeup because, despite the fact that she's always fighting and killing people, she still likes to look her best. She can get along with adults and professional, higher-ups because she was raised that way and knew how to act polite even as a five-year-old (she can make them believe that she can handle the professional talk and shouldn't be treated like a child just because she looks like one). And then she can get along with the whores, skanks and smokers because, well, she practically _is_ a whore and a skank, minus the smoker, but she can get along with those too. Uzuki fits into every category under the sun. But, every once in a while, she'll find one of those people that she absolutely cannot or just refuses to connect to. Most of these people are dead now. She killed them when she became a Reaper and had her mental breakdown.

When I've finished off my bag of chips, I run up to the people running the cafeteria and I grab all the sweets I can get my hands on. More quesadilla chips, soda, candy, chocolate, chocolate milk, home-made brownies, and those cookies that are bigger than your head and taste so damn good.

"Yashiro, slow down on the sweets!" Link yells when I make it back to the table with my stash of sugar substances. "Are you trying to kill yourself?"

I try to say the words, "Piss off!" at him, but my mouth is stuffed with brownie so it doesn't come out right.

Link sighs at me, and shakes his head. "I'm not even going to try and translate what you just said . . ."

In my opinion, Chemistry is going to be the most fun, awesome, mind-blowing motherfucking class of the day. No doubt about it. I don't like the math that goes with Chemistry at all, but once I get through all the mathematical shit, I can get to doing all those labs and experiments that we do after figuring out all the technicalities to the formulas that _apply _to the experiment. Today, our teacher, Mr. Basset (the same Chemistry teacher we had when we were alive; I just had to point that out too because we've had the same teachers that we had when we were alive _all day_) showed us a demonstration of a mixture of baking soda and water. Easy. I feel really stupid being in this class. I mean, I already know what mixtures obviously explode and which just make a dangerous gas that will kill you if you inhale it. I do enough of this shit just around the house back in the Dark Realm. You should see the crap that Uzuki uses to make her hand grenades. No two hand grenades are alike . . . not the way Uzuki makes them, at least. Each grenade is handcrafted by Uzuki herself, and each one offers a different surprise inside, if you wish to stick around and find out after she pulls the ring and chucks it at you like a Christmas gift.

So when Mr. Basset starts to show us how to mix baking soda with water – for Goddess' sakes, you pour the baking soda into the water, it can't get any easier than that – I feel I have to interrupt with my own mixture.

"Hey, check out what happens when I mix cesium with water!" I yell out. The entire class responds with screams, and they all jump back as far as they can from me.

"Yashiro, don't-!" Shuto yells, but I've already poured the water into the liquid cesium.

Then I close my eyes, and the beaker explodes with gas and a disgusting smell that even I can barely handle. But I don't dare move; I'm having too much fun watching the rest of the class, including the teacher, stagger out the door and onto the hallway floor, crawling into hands-and-knees positions to protect themselves from the gas that's now rising to the ceiling.

With the beaker in my right hand, I walk casually out of the room, a huge, victorious smile on my face.

"That was fun!" I laugh. "Let's do it again!"

"NO!" the class screams at me all at once.

"Yashiro, what were you thinking?" Shuto asks me. "You could have killed us all!"

I shrug my shoulders in reply. "Pfft, yeah, right. Look at me, I'm still alive." Although, you never know, I could suffer from some kind of radiation poisoning later on in my life; lose my hair at a young age or something.

"That doesn't matter, Yashiro! That was dangerous! The explosion was big enough let alone the gases! I think you just set an earthquake loose throughout the entire school!"

"Huh, that's weird. I'm still bored," I mutter as I stare sadly into the bottom of the glass beaker. Then I look at Mr. Basset for an answer to my next question.

"Know any other good mixtures, Doc?"

I still smell like cesium-mixed-with-water gas when music class starts. Music class with Mrs. Carp. I love Mrs. Carp, but she drives me crazy at the same time. Not to mention the fact that I'm going to have to go up to her and tell her I don't have a clarinet, which is going to be fun indeed. Stupid Uzuki and Shuto having their own flutes . . .

The music that we play in the class is pretty familiar to me. Some of the songs I haven't played before, but there are ones that I've been playing ever since senior band when I was in grade ten and eleven. They're all pretty simple, but that's only because it's the beginning of the year and Mrs. Carp likes to warm everyone back up to their instruments again. As we're playing through our music though, I can't help but notice that Uzuki is still as good on the flute as she was when she was alive, and even though she hasn't been playing her flute for a good five years, she's still pretty good at it, almost better than Shuto really. Dang. . .

Music class continues on just like my other classes, and eventually, the final bell of the day rings. I pack up my instrument and place it on the shelf at the back of the room where everyone else sets the instruments. It's alright to leave our instruments at the school over the week, but once the weekend hits, we have to absolutely remember to take our instruments home for the weekend to practice . . . I just do the same thing Uzuki does – stuff my instrument in my locker and say what Mrs. Carp doesn't know won't hurt the both of us.

Uzuki, Shuto and I head out to the lobby. We're the first ones there, and a few minutes later, Mitsuhiro and Link show up together.

"Reconnaissance time?" Shuto asks.

I blink in confusion. "I thought we were doing recon . . ."

Shuto shakes his head doubtfully. "That's what reconnaissance is . . ."

I roll my eyes. Sure thing, Shuto. I'm supposed to know that reconnaissance and recon are both the same thing?

Geez. Some people think they're _so_ smart.

My ass.


	17. Rei Ryuga and Casual Card Games

Hey everyone,

Well, we're finally out of the high school loop, so this chapter is what happens afterwards. Things will pick up fast now that we've gotten out of the P.O.V. chapters for each character.

Uzuki Cheverie

**Time Gate: The Adult Chapters**

**Chapter 17: Rei Ryuga and Casual Card Games**

So, with the first day of school out of the way, it's time to get serious. Scouting for us involves splitting up, each one of us armed with a hidden weapon for _emergencies only_, and then heading to our own areas of the town. If the Reapers find something suspicious, they are to report to me via C.T. crystal. If _I _find something suspicious, then I'm supposed to contact the Reapers and tell them to fall back. Then – and this is something I added last minute after being recently informed of the tracker that's in the crystals – the Reapers are supposed to follow the tracking signal from my crystal and get to my location _without_ being seen by the enemy in case we need to ambush. Because obviously, it's a better plan to have a target think that he or she is only up against one person and then get ambushed by five.

"Where do you want us to meet up at the end of our rounds, in case we don't find anything?" Uzuki asks me as she ties some bandages around her feet, ignoring her heels, all the way up past her ankles.

I look around the area outside the Academy. It's basically in the main, northern part of town, where the most people are. It's on the eastern side of this area, just a few blocks away from the Temple of Time and a few more turns from Hyrule Castle. With the Academy out in the open, if you were to get up high, you'd be able to see a lot. Even from down here on the ground, there's a lot that you can see. The Academy is also very easy to find as well, thanks to its size.

"Right here seems like a good spot," I tell her. "If we don't find anything by five o'clock, then we'll meet back up here. I'll contact everyone at five just to check up and then I'll give the signal to come back."

Uzuki nods and then pulls out her sketchbook. "I'll start anywhere you tell me to, then."

I point to the southern side of Castle Town, where the food and flower stalls are set up. "You go to southern Castle Town. Yashiro will cover the western side, Shuto will go east, and I'll stay here in the northern port. Mitsuhiro's going to the castle."

She nods again and then heads for the southern side. I can see her jaw rise form the fresh smirk on her face. I don't know why she's smiling – it could be because she's back in her hometown, or because she thinks it's funny she's back in school – but I don't pay too much attention to it anyways. Uzuki smiles at funny things, so it's best not to pry.

When she's gone from my sight, lost in the sea of people, I begin to look around at the place I'm in. In the centre of the city lies a huge fountain, multiple little waterfalls cascading from the top to the bottom. There are people everywhere, pushing their way through more crowds to get where they want to go. It's probably always like this after school – students are getting out to freedom, parents are leaving their homes to meet up with their kids or go grocery shopping for dinner. It's the craziest time of the day.

So, where to start? I could go back to the school; head to the café; observe from the fountain; wander around aimlessly for a little while. These two hours are going to go by excruciatingly slow, unless I find something to do. I guess heading back to the school seems like a reasonable idea. So I turn around and head back to the Academy grounds, the place appearing nearly empty with a few teachers and students walking out its doors.

When I walk inside, I begin to realize how empty the lobby looks without any students running around, gathered in social circles, or taking up all the spots on the lobby couches (however, there are still a few students sitting on the couches –students that find more fun in staying at the school reading a book than returning home; any other students would be waiting for others to meet up for a club or a get-together or something).

I sit myself down at one of the couches, a couple cushions away from that new girl Uzuki was telling me about. I believe her name as Fara . . . or something like that. But unlike the others, she's not reading a book. Instead, she's occupying herself with a white string that she has wound around her fingers and thumbs, like a net. I'm pretty sure Uzuki does the same thing every once in a while . . . cat's cradle? Yeah, I think that's what she called it. I tried it once when I was younger, but I could never get the hang of it. Uzuki said to me one time that when she was a child, she practiced for two hours straight on the _same_ routine, trying to get a certain shape that she had seen in a book. She went back to the beginning of the instructions, over and over again, until she was able to do it so fluently that she was basically leaving all the tricks to her fingers, not her brain. She could probably do it without looking too.

I watch as Fara delicately and effortlessly makes all kinds of interesting shapes and forms with the string. Her fingers are quite long, with nails at the ends of them that look like they've been taken very good care of.

Then something catches my eye.

Despite her body being so slim and porcelain-like, I can see a few deep scars on her wrists, like they were cut up with a knife. The scars look quite old, but they're still very visible if you take the time to find them. What could have caused those marks? An abusive family? Clumsiness? Herself, perhaps?

_Link, you have to remember that there are people out there who think they're better off dead, _Dex says to me, cutting into my thoughts. _They hurt themselves like that because they either don't care what happens to them, or they find that the pain helps them cope; the pain reminds them that they can still feel._

I swallow to try and keep me back from making any unpleasant noises from the tought. Deep down though, I know that what Dex is saying is true. A few of my own friends can be like that from time to time. Uzuki, who can be the most depressing person of the group, often questions her reasons for living, although she claims that she was ten times worse a few weeks before she died (s sad kind of irony, isn't it?). Mitsuhiro, years ago, when he was praying and hoping that we would kill him and release him from the Kyodai no Akuma's grasp. Who knows, Kurenai and Matsuda could end up the same way. Well, maybe not Matsuda, because he's still a little kid. But Kurenai is older, and now she has to bear the weight on her shoulders of knowing she and Matsuda could be the only Angels left; at least, the only ones left from her kingdom. A thirteen-year-old – or whatever age she is –shouldn't have to carry such a weight on her shoulders. No one should.

Before I know it, I realize that I've been watching Fara for probably about a half-hour. The other students that were sitting here before have already left, so it's just me and Fara here now. She seems oblivious to my presence, but it's hard to tell because she's had her black, lifeless eyes fixed on that string probably ever since school let out. I haven't seen her look up once, even if it was to check the time. I'm amazed by her perseverance; she doesn't get bored even after doing the same shapes over and over again.

And for some reason, I can't bring myself up to just leaving and moving on to the next spot for scouting. She's caught my attention and has kept it on her for the past forty-five minutes.

Suddenly, for no obvious reason at all, she starts to speak.

"It's a beautiful day today, isn't it?" she asks me. Her voice is soft and melodic, like the voice of a goddess. But she keeps her eyes on the string.

"Huh? Oh . . . yeah, it is," I reply, suddenly taken off guard by her odd question, the first words that have come out of her mouth probably since she introduced herself to the teacher this morning. "Very sunny."

"Hmm . . . indeed," she says, unwinding the string from her fingers and starting over again. "I don't mind sunny days, but I much prefer the dark of evening. I enjoy seeing the twilight of night after dusk as started to conceal the sun."

_Wow. She's a poet_, Dex snickers. _Those are some inspiring words._

The moment Dex stops talking, Fara smiles, and then giggles softly.

"Excuse me for saying such cheesy things," she laughs. "I get carried away with my feelings sometimes."

_Freaky. She's also a mind-reader._

"You are new to this school as well, aren't you?" she asks me.

"Um, yeah," I answer, scratching my head before leaning forward on the couch, staring at my feet with my hands resting on my knees.

"How was your first day?" She spreads her hands apart, the string forming what looks like a simple house.

"It was . . . meh," I laugh.

She finally looks at me, with a look of confusion.

"Meh . . .?" she asks, a crooked smile flashing from her lips the moment she repeats the word.

"Yeah, you know. Meh," I say again. She laughs out loud this time.

"What does that mean?" she giggles.

I shrug my shoulders. "Nothing at all, really. My, uh . . . brothers, sisters and I use that word whenever we're feeling alright about something . . . just 'meh'."

She laughs again. "That's so stupid, but . . . I guess it works."

"Yeah, and you can't really argue with that, now can you?" I ask with a wide smile.

She takes the string off her fingers and ties it around her arm, trying it in a knot above her elbow, the yarn criss-crossing over her skin like a fish net. Then she lifts her small white back onto her shoulder.

"It was nice to meet you, Mr. . . . Um . . ."

"Oh, I'm Link," I tell her, holding my hand out to shake.

She shakes my hand, giving me a closer look at her scars.

"Fara," she tells me. "Fara Kobayashi." She smiles her mysterious, calm smile. "Have a good day, Mr. Link." Then she releases my hand, and out of nowhere, places the tips of her fingers gently on my forehead. She smiles again.

"It was nice to meet the both of you. I wish you both a happy life." Then she turns around and walks away, out the doors and vanishing into the crowds of people outside.

I swallow, sweat starting to form on my forehead where she had touched me.

"The . . . the _both_ of us?" I stammer nervously out loud to Dex. "What did she mean by that . . .?"

Dex makes a low noise from the back of his throat. _I think she was talking about me . . ._

"Are you sure?" I ask him as I nibble on my lower lip with fear.

_Positive. And when she touched your forehead . . . I don't know, but I started to feel a little . . . funny. That's how I knew she was talking to me too._

"Something's not right about that girl . . ." I sigh to myself. "Do you think we should follow her?"

_Hmm . . . no, she's probably long gone by now_, Dex mutters. _Let's just leave for now. We've got an hour and a half to kill. Wanna grab a bite to eat?_

"It's funny that you're asking me that when you know that _I'm _the one that's going to be eating, not you," I laugh as I start to walk out the doors of the school.

_Well, nom-nom to you then_

I let out a laugh at his comment.

"Ha, that's funny . . . that should be our new – AHH!"

Creepy girl. Right in front of my face. She glares back at me through her long, black bangs.

"What the-?" I scream. Then I realize that she's not even bothering to do anything to me. I try to walk around her, but she moves in front of me, her arms held out from her sides. The way she moves is strange; it's more like she's being held up by strings and pulled along like a marionette, and I can tell because her feet are just dragging along the ground, not even properly placed down the way feet should be when they move.

It's not until I follow the strings that are attached to her wrists that I see the boy standing on the roof above the school, his fingers spread out as he moves the girl about like a life-sized puppet. The girl starts to float upwards as he pulls on the strings, lifting her up onto the roof. I walk further outside so that I can get a better look at him. He looks like one of those punk teenagers that like to cause trouble for innocent families; you know, the kind that egg peoples' houses at night and spend most of their time proving to society that they're better than them. I'm pretty sure I went through a phase like that when I was growing up with the Reapers, although it was nothing like this guy. This guy looks just plain hard-core. He's built with a rather thin body, much like my own, and he has dirty light-brown hair that tufts out in all directions. There's a toothpick clenched between his teeth, and he's wearing ripped pants and a jacket that has a fur hood, much like Uzuki's fur-hooded jacket, only a lot shorter. He's not even wearing a shirt either; just one of those undershirts that are made with black, tightly-woven fish netting design.

The boy doesn't say anything. He continues to look down on me from the roof of the school, like a mighty god ready to give punishment to a criminal.

"Um . . . hello?" I manage to say. He doesn't say anything in return. I'd be able to tell what he was thinking at least, if he wasn't wearing those black sunglasses over his eyes. I wonder what it is with certain people having to wear sunglasses . . . Uzuki in her human form is the first time I've seen her without her sunglasses. When she's a Reaper, she wears them everywhere . . . even to bed, I think.

The boy eventually jumps down from his spot on the roof, landing on his sandaled feet on the brick ground, not batting an eye at the distance of the fall at all. Then he walks up really close to me, and without speaking, he pulls off his sunglasses and stares straight at me. Underneath the sunglasses, his eyes are very cold and empty-looking. They're brown, but in a very light way, much like his hair. It's an eye color I've never seen before. But the feeling of his eyes implants fear and an uncomfortable feeling of nervousness into my mind. Even though he looks around my age, not old at all, he has the eyes of war and battle. He's obviously not a person who's been able to live a peaceful life at all . . . much like myself.

"Who . . . are you?" I ask as I begin to back away a little bit. He's too close for my taste, and his eyes are beginning to scare me a little.

The boy drops the sunglasses over his eyes and shrugs his shoulders.

"I'm sorry?" I ask, a little puzzled by his response.

He shrugs his shoulders again before pulling out a pen and grabbing my hand. He begins to write down something on my skin.

I look down at what he wrote on the palm of my hand.

_I don't know who I am, really. No one really does . . . unless it's just me. _

I look at him funny. "Can't . . . can't you talk?"

He shakes his head, and writes something else down on my hand.

_No_.

"That's too bad. What's your name?"

_My name . . . is Rei Ryuga. _

Right after I'm done reading his sentence, he grabs my hand and writes something else down quickly.

_But I didn't tell you that, alright? We can't be friends or even acquaintances. So don't get any ideas into your head. _

"You can't tell me who you are?" I ask again.

_I have no place in this world. I am nobody. _

I attempt to absorb what he just said, but it just confuses me a little. "Uh-huh . . ."

_I lost my place in this world when I committed the ultimate sin. Nobody is to acknowledge me now. If they do, I'll probably . . . never mind._

"So, your name is Rei Ryuga?" I ask, a little eager to change the subject now.

_Yes. But you must pretend like you never met me._

"Why? You seem awful secretive."

_I am not to reveal myself to the likes of you . . . no offense, of course. I have nothing against you, really. In fact, I kind of admire your dedication to your goal. You are chasing those known as the Reapers, correct? _

"That's . . . yeah, I am. How do you know about the-"

He holds up his hand to stop me, and shakes his head. Then he begins to write again.

_Don't say it out loud. One of them is probably watching us now._

I start to look around the area we're in, but he stops me again by pulling my face forward to its original position. He shakes his head angrily at me.

_Don't look! That will just provoke them. If you know who you're dealing with, you'll be more careful._

"Do you know who's been kidnapping the students?" I whisper to him.

_A Reaper from the Society,_ he writes. _They're definitely a higher-up. Higher-ups from the Society are very tricky, so you have to watch out. Don't trust anyone. _

"Why are you telling me this? No, how do you _know_ about this?"

_I'm not . . . I'm from the other side, how you would say. The other team. _

"The Assassins?"

He smacks me across the head.

_Shut your mouth, fairy! Don't say that out loud! There's somebody watching us right now! Don't look!_

"Why are you helping me if you're an Assassin?" I hiss angrily at him.

_The Assassins aren't supposed to be your enemies, fairy, _he writes_. There are only a few people in our group who hate your group. Zero hates you. Makoto hates Mitsuhiro, and Uzuki to an odd point, but he's mostly out to get Mitsuhiro. That's really it. The rest of us just find it somewhat fun to compete with you. However, we're open to giving you what we would call 'hints'._

I sigh. "Are you serious?"

_Mikoshi helped you out before, didn't he?_

I think back to when I was with Zelda and Mikoshi warned us about the attack on Kalasia. "That's right, he did . . ." I sigh.

_Told you so. It's just Zero and Makoto that have a score to settle with a couple of your members . . . including you. We've been helping you out more than you think. _

I let out a groan. I don't like to entertain the thought of the Assassins actually being on our side. So, to wrap it up quickly, they just like to compete with us and they help us whenever they think we need the extra kick . . . for Goddess' sake, this isn't going to help with my stress.

_Sadik has given a bit of information to Uzuki too . . . I think. I could have sworn I saw Uzuki of the Time Keepers having a conversation with Sadik of the Reapers at lunch time. _

"Wait, so that's what Uzuki was doing at lunch? That crazy chick is a Reaper?" I ask in surprise.

_Yes, she is, and a very old one too. She went to school with Uzuki when she was alive, so she gave Uzuki a rundown of things that Uzuki had missed while she was gone in the Dark Realm. _

_Gah. This is too much information for me to wrap my head around . . ._ I think to myself in defeat.

Link, see if he'll cooperate with you for today, Dex suggests. _He might be willing to share some more information with you._

"Um, Rei, do you think you'd tell me a bit more of this over a cup of coffee or something?" I ask him.

Rei looks around with a nervous twitch in his eye, and then nods. He writes down his answer on my hand.

_Only for a little bit. The last thing I need is for Makoto-kun and Zero to see me hanging out with you._

I squeeze my hand shut and smile. Then I lead him to the café that's just around the corner from the school. The both of us order coffee (I order for him, of course), and then we sit there in silence for a few moments. Then Rei starts to write something down on a napkin.

_There's a Reaper here, Link._

"Who is it?" I whisper to him.

_The red-haired girl sitting in the table on the furthest end of the café. She's sitting next to Sadik._

I soon spot Sadik, and when I spot her, I find the red-haired girl that Rei is talking about.

"Do you need to worry about her? She seems to be a friend of Sadik's, and so far it seems like Sadik is on your side."

_Sadik doesn't have a particular side, but she does enjoy our company, so I guess you can consider her to agree with our ways to a point. But that red-haired girl . . . her name is Shiyoru. Sadik claims to have been friends with her for a long time, but I don't trust her one bit._

"How do you know? Have you talked to her?"

_She's from the Society._

I nearly choke on my coffee. "What? How do you know that?"

_I was once a Reaper too. I saw Shiyoru in Xixion Kobayashi's squad when I became a Reaper._

I look around first before picking my next words. "What do you mean you were 'once' a Reaper?"

Rei shifts around in his chair uncomfortably for a moment. Then he begins to write again, flipping to the other side of his napkin.

_What I mean to say is that I died, got sent to the Dark Realm, and then I was brought back to life again._

"Brought back to life? Is that even possible?"

_It is for the Society. You can make an agreement with the Society if you so choose to – they'll bring you back to life if you give up the most precious thing in your life. _

I lean back in my chair and let out an exhausted sigh. This is one of those times when I need to de-stress . . . but right now is obviously not the time. I'm going to need to do a lot of de-stressing when I get home.

"So you gave up your most precious thing? And how did that work out for you?"

He hesitates for a moment, and then writes his response.

_I'm not going to talk about that. My past is not important. What is important is that Sadik is friends with someone from the Society without knowing it._

"Well, shouldn't we tell her?"

He shakes his head.

_No, not yet. Right now, Sadik is the reason that red-haired girl is staying in Hyrule and not returning to the Dark Realm. We should use this as an advantage to watch her activity further._

I let out another de-stressing sigh. "Fine. So is this red-haired girl the one we need to worry about? Is she the one kidnapping students?"

_Not necessarily._

Shit. That means even more trouble for me.

_The Reaper who's kidnapping students is a higher-up. Shiyoru is just from one of the higher-up's squads . . . the Reaper we're dealing with here is definitely a captain. Now we just have to figure out which one it is and try and stop them. _

I pull myself forward in my chair again, resting my elbows on the table. "Alright, so you and the Assassins are definitely after the same goal, right?"

_You can say that. Each member of the Assassins joined our group for a specific reason, but one of our overall goals is to stop the Society. _

"And it's really just Makoto and Zero that hate us, right?"

_Makoto's out for blood. Zero's just out for vengeance, but she doesn't necessarily want to kill the person she's after; she just wants to prove a point to him._

"Makoto's after Mitsuhiro, isn't he?"

_His head and every other body part that he can get a hold of. Makoto's main goal is to avenge an old friend's death. _

"How is killing Mitsuhiro going to fill that need for revenge? He had nothing to do with the death of whoever it was that died."

_According to Makoto, Mitsuhiro was the one who killed his friend. He died in the process as well, but Makoto knew about Mitsuhiro's transformation into a Reaper, and he immediately sought revenge. So he joined the Assassins to become stronger. _

I was told that Mitsuhiro died in a car accident. That's what I've always known, ever since I first met the Time Keepers. So when this Rei Ryuga guy tells me that Mitsuhiro actually murdered someone in his human life and was killed in the process, I feel like I've just been punched in the face. I can't say anything though; all I can do is sit there in complete shock, my mouth completely wide in surprise.

Completely anxious to ask Mitsuhiro questions now, I get up from the table, grabbing my coffee while I'm at it, and I wave to Rei.

"It's been nice talking to you, Rei, but I really have to go now," I tell him. "Thank you so much for the information you've shared with me. I'll treat it well."

He nods, and waves goodbye. Even as I walk away, he remains seated at that table, staring off into the distance with a blank look on his face, his sunglasses resting on his head and his coffee cup clenched between his hands. This boy, who can't speak a single word, has given me a lot of things to work with today. Shiyoru, Sadik's companion and friend, is apparently a traitor. Mitsuhiro is a murderer. The Assassins aren't our enemies, just our competitors. The Reaper who's hiding in the Academy is a higher-up from the Society. You can come back to life even after getting sent to the Dark Realm after death.

Gah.

I need to de-stress my poor head.

**(Switch to Uzuki's P.O.V.)**

"Alright, which shell did I hide the purple rupee under, my good sir?"

The burly man sitting in front of me thinks for a minute, and then finally picks the shell on the right. I lift it for him, showing him the empty table underneath it. The man growls profanities underneath his greasy beard.

"Sorry, buddy," I reply as I secretly pat my open purse with the purple rupee hidden inside.

The disappointed man gets up from the table and walks away, making room for the next person in the line.

"Hello there, Madame," I say politely with a tip of my jazz hat. The girl in front of me sits down and places a yellow rupee on the table. I hide it underneath the center shell. Then she watches me intently as I switch the three shells around on the table, as quick as I can. As I count the switches and the seconds, I pull off my little trick right under her nose. As I'm switching the one with the rupee and one of the empty ones, I quickly lift the one with the rupee under it and shove it off the table with the tip of the shell, knocking it straight into my purse without the girl noticing. Then I stop the shells for the girl to choose.

"Pick your shell, Madame," I tell her, trying not to laugh.

"Hmm . . ." she says, holding her fingernail to her teeth as she thinks. "Um, that one," she says as she points to the one in the middle.

"Sorry," I mutter as I lift the shell, with no rupee underneath it.

"Aw . . . I was sure I had it!" the girl sighs as she stands up from the table and leaves.

"Better luck next time!"

I guess it's a little cruel to be ripping young girls out of their cash. But they're so easy to fool. Even the thirty-year-olds are easy to trick. As long as I don't tell the others how I got the money, I'll be fine.

I realize that my plan won't be so simple when Makoto Takahashi sits down in front of me.

"Hey there," he says to me with a smile. "Your booth seems to be pretty popular on its first day."

I casually reply with a shrug of my shoulders, but I really just want to get up and run away now. Makoto already knows I'm a Time Keeper and a Reaper; being in my human form is definitely not going to fool him.

Then I notice the three people standing behind him. Higashizawa Takahashi. And my two brothers, Taishou and Mikoshi Kasahara.

I'm doomed.

"Mind if Mikoshi has a go at it?" Makoto asks me as he points to Mikoshi.

"N-No problem," I stammer as Mikoshi sits down next to Makoto in the second chair, staring at me from beneath his bangs with a sinister look.

"Place your bet, sir," I mumble. He sets a yellow rupee down on the table. I take the rupee and hide it underneath the right shell. As I start to switch the shells, I end up pulling off the trick again, even without intending to. And surprisingly enough, Mikoshi doesn't notice.

"Alright, pick your shell," I tell him when I'm done shuffling the shells around.

Mikoshi picks the middle one.

"Oh, sorry," I say as I lift the shell. "Better luck next time."

"Alright, my turn!" Higashizawa exclaims as he kicks Mikoshi off the chair. Mikoshi scowls at him in disgust, but he gets up and dusts himself off, patting at his knees to check for scrapes. Higashizawa plops himself down in the chair and sets a red rupee down. I set it underneath the right shell again, like last time, and I do the same trick, like last time.

"Choose your shell, sir," I say. Higashizawa immediately chooses the one on the left.

"Sorry," I mutter as I show him the empty table underneath.

"Curses, that's difficult!" Higashizawa gasps as he strokes his beard. "I thought it would be easy, but . . ."

"Just a second, bro," Makoto snickers as he scratches his neck. "I know how to win this thing. Leave it to me." He drops a purple rupee on the table before locking eyes with mine, a challenging smirk growing on his face. "Go ahead, sweetie; take your best shot. See if you can trick me."

I scowl at him, and feeling determined to best him, I set it underneath the middle shell and begin to shuffle them. This time, when I do the trick, I do it so fluently and quickly that even I have trouble seeing it when it moves into my purse.

Before I can finish shuffling though, Makoto grabs my wrist, stopping me completely, and grabs my purse with the other hand. He goes straight for the purple rupee that's resting inside, and puts it back into his pocket.

"Nice try," he snickers. "You couldn't trick me, now could you?"

"L-Let go . . ." I growl as I try to pull my wrist away from him, but his grip is tight.

"What do you think we should do to her?" Makoto laughs frantically, his eyes wild with excitement and lust for what I'm guessing is blood. "I suggest we teach her a lesson for trying to outsmart me . . ."

"Makoto, piss off," Mikoshi sighs from behind him. "You got your fifty rupees back . . . just leave her alone."

Makoto looks back at Mikoshi first before smiling at me. "Lucky you. You got to keep your head today . . . next time you may not be so lucky, though." Then he releases my wrist. I can see the marks from where his bony fingers had dug into my skin.

Makoto waves his hand through the air as he walks away from my booth, yelling as he walks, "See you later, sweetheart."

_The nerve of some people!_ I think angrily to myself as I sit back down in my chair.

_You were asking for it,_ the thing in my head laughs.

_You know what I mean! And who said you could talk? Shut up!_

Before I can say anything else, I immediately pack up my things and leave the southern end of Clock Town. The only person I can consult in right now is Mitsuhiro.

And I still need to find out what he's hiding from me.

**(Switch to Mitsuhiro's P.O.V.)**

It's nice to see that these graves are still being taken care of. Each one is still in good condition; they haven't been vandalised or torn up from their spots or painted on by street artists. It makes this trip to the graveyard a bit more peaceful for me.

I get to my knees when I find the gravestone that has Uzuki Kasahara's name carved in the front. I take the rose that I've been holding on to since we split up back at the Academy and place it in front of Uzuki's grave, and then I kiss my fingers and press them against the cool stone of the cenotaph.

"I'm so sorry, Uzuki . . ." I sigh to myself, biting on my lip to prevent myself from getting too overwhelmed. "I never meant for any of this to happen . . . I'm so sorry . . ."

I rest my head on the top of the tombstone, looking down at the grass below it as I begin to think of all the horrible things that I've done in my time. I've treated Link like shit. I've hurt my friends. I've killed humans. I've been a horrible leader for my team. But none of those things can add up to the worst sin that I committed in my lifetime.

Nothing will amount Uzuki's death. It was my fault. My poor Uzuki, the one person in this world who I cared about and could relate to . . . the one person who shared the same perspective on human beings that I did; she was killed by my hand, the person who she said she cared about, who she loved and wouldn't stop loving for all eternity. Even just looking her in the eye is hard when she says she cares about me. When she says she cares about me, when she says she loves me, and looks at me with those beautiful eyes of hers and that amazing smile, I can only think of how I took her life away. All it took was one of those damn cars and the feeling of knowing she was going to die soon. I didn't want her to die . . . that's why I tried to stop that horrible tragedy from happening. And instead, I ended up killing the both of us. Even having myself die doesn't seem like payment enough for my killing her. I'll never stop owing her for the things she's done for me. She gave me friendship. She gave me love. She gave me a reason to find some kind of hope in this disgusting world.

Shoot. Now I'm crying. I hate crying . . . she always tells me it's alright to cry, that men need to cry too and show their emotions more. But when I think of her telling me that, I just see that amazing smile of hers again, and then I end up getting even more emotional.

"Dammit . . ." I cry to myself, trying not to choke on my own words with very little victory. I bring my fist into the air and smash it down onto the top of the gravestone. I don't care if it hurts now that I'm a human. This pain is helping me cope with my emotions; it's helping me get rid of these damn tears.

I'm barely able to pull myself together when Uzuki shows up.

"I figured you'd be here," she giggles. When she sees the state I'm in, she asks, "Mitsuhiro? Are you alright?" I shake my head furiously before reaching over to hug her, still on my knees so my face is just level with her belly, my arms wrapping tightly around her and not letting go for anything.

"Uzuki, I'm . . . I'm so sorry . . ." I cough, the tears pouring out of my eyes now.

Uzuki does something that I wish she hadn't. Instead of asking me what's wrong or getting upset herself, she smiles, and rubs my head.

"Oh, Mitsuhiro . . . it's alright," she says gently as she gently rubs my hair.

"No, it's . . . it's not, Uzuki . . ." I cry. I look up at her, and when I see her smiling face, I end up breaking down even more. I feel so weak right now that it's starting to make me feel a little bit sick.

"Mitsuhiro, it's okay!" Uzuki giggles. "What's wrong? Do you want to talk about it?"

I shake my head. "Uzuki, I can't . . . I can't tell you . . ." The way she's smiling at me tells me that she knows there's something heavy on my mind. She knows that there's something important I have to tell her. But she's acknowledging the fact that I can't tell her right now.

"I really want to tell you, I really do . . .!" I cry, and soon I find myself laying completely on the ground, holding myself up by my hands and knees, the tears falling from my eyes to the grass below and down my neck like streams.

Uzuki gets down on her knees and hugs my head. She kisses my forehead.

"Uzuki, I'm so sorry . . .!"

Uzuki shakes her head. "It's okay, Mitsuhiro. Whatever it is, you can tell me any time. I'll wait, okay?"

I hug her tightly, my fingers digging into the fabric of her tank top and getting caught in bits of her long, curly hair.

"Uzuki . . . thank you . . ." I sniffle as I bury my face into her neck.

Then she helps me up from the ground, and we leave the graveyard, the rose still sitting next to Uzuki's name.

**(Switch to Yashiro's P.O.V.)**

I'm glad I was assigned the western part of Hyrule. It's just so . . . fun here. There are attractions of all kinds set up around this area. A circus tent is set up in the center, and around it are several game booths. It's not just the fair either; these attractions are here year-round as a way for the dancers and performers that can't get jobs anywhere else to make money.

The first place I head inside is the tent. When I enter, I see the spotlights targeting the dancers that are on center stage. Circus music is playing from the orchestra near the back of the room, and the audience is lined on the bleachers that are surrounding the stage.

I sit down on the bleachers next to a couple of hyper-active kids, their hands clutching balloons of all shapes and colors, their faces colored with different shades of paint.

Dancers start to twirl out onto center stage, their dresses long and luxurious. I have no fucking idea how they can dance in those damn dresses . . . Uzuki is the sort of person who would be able to pull that off. She can pull a shitload of things off, things that you could never imagine. Dancing in heels (I would fall and break my face); playing extremely fast songs on the piano (I can't even play the slower ones – I get too damn confused with where my hands are); and even drinking vodka coolers to no end without getting drunk (I'm not even going to _touch_ alcohol – I'm fine with root beer, thank you very much).

The dancers on the stage continue to twirl around in their dresses, some of them holding those whip things that have the flames on the end. Freaking dangerous if you ask me, but it's just something else Uzuki would pick up and do after just a minute of watching.

When the dancers have finished their routine, they all bow to the crowd, and the crowd responds by throwing roses and bouquets at them with cheers and screams of excitement. I go ahead and throw a couple whistles of encouragement at them; this is probably the only circus show I'm going to see in a while, anyways.

The leader of the circus troupe comes out to the stage, and waves at the crowd. Then he begins to speak.

"Let's have another round of applause for-"

He can't finish speaking. How can he? Before he can finish his sentence, a huge burst of smoke appears in front of him out of nowhere.

And guess who shows up from that cloud of white smoke?

None other than my brother, Higashizawa-kun.

I really want to just jump out of the bleachers and go hug him, but I know it's a bad idea. He's not supposed to know I'm alive, after all. So, I try my hardest to keep myself seated as I watch the strange event unfold on center stage.

"Oh, hello there, good fellow," the leader says as if he were expecting Higashi-kun to show up.

Higashizawa looks around, examining his environment with a look of wonder on his face.

". . . Dang. Wrong place," he sighs. "Sorry for interrupting your show, Mr. Troupe Leader."

The leader laughs with joy. "No worries at all, my friend."

Higashizawa gives a peace sign to the crowd before disappearing in another cloud of white smoke.

The show goes on.

Well. It looks like Higashizawa can teleport too. Like brother, like sister.

**(Switch to Shuto's P.O.V.) **

I think I'm the only Time Keeper with absolutely nothing to do. I'm assuming everyone else has found something to pass the time with. As usual, I'm the one that's stuck with absolute boredom and zero work. That usually happened when I was alive too; everyone else would be out having fun and I would be stuck on the school steps waiting for something exciting to happen. At least, that's how it was before I got thrown into the hospital with my mysterious disease. Then I was even more bored; I was stuck in a hospital bed during all hours of the day, with nobody to talk to unless they remembered to visit and only books to read and sudoku puzzles to solve. But it was the way I always lived my life up until that point, I guess. Always just going with the flow, wherever my life would take me.

Even now, when I'm on a journey to save the world, I'm still bored.

Hmm. I'm starting to sound like Uzuki-chan.

I soon find myself at the café in northern Castle Town, and eventually, I'm ordering tea and biscuits for myself. I guess I should eat. I didn't eat much at lunch time anyways, so I'm a little hungry.

When the biscuits and tea arrive at my table, I take my time at eating it, taking occasional sips from my tea and tearing tiny parts off my biscuit before putting them in my mouth. It's just one of those days, I guess.

I soon hear a familiar voice from behind me. When I look back, I see Zelda sitting there with another man, and they seem to be having a rather immersive debate about something. Zelda looks somewhat angry, and the man actually looks like he's enjoying seeing her argue; his eyes are twitching with madness, but he has a smile that suggests otherwise, that he's getting entertainment out of their argument. When I examine them closer, I see that the man is actually Yashiro's stepbrother, Makoto Takahashi. I wonder what Zelda is doing hanging out with him . . . I know it's wrong, but I end up eavesdropping on their argument. It's not like they've noticed me sitting here anyways.

"Makoto, would you stop your damn complaining?" Zelda sneers. "I have my own problems to deal with right now!"

Makoto growls at her from the back of his throat. "I have all the reason to be a total bitch about this!" he yells.

"So Mitsuhiro is going to the Academy now," Zelda mutters. "No big whoop."

I hear something bang against their table. I think it's Makoto's fist, but it's hard to say.

"You don't get it, do you, Zero?" he yells. "What's the reason for my joining the Assassins, Zero? Go on, say it! You know the reason!"

Zelda lets out a sigh and pauses before answering. "To kill Mitsuhiro Minamimoto."

"Exactly! To kill Mitsuhiro Minamimoto!" he repeats. I feel my heart begin to pound. Makoto wants to kill Mitsuhiro. "I tried to kill him a couple years ago but it didn't work!"

"That's because Reapers aren't affected by regular weapons," Zelda smirks, "dumbass."

Makoto lets out another animal-like growl. "I figured guns would be enough at the time. I left him a few bullet wounds he wouldn't soon forget, but next time – next time, I tell you – I'll have his head!"

"Yes, I know," Zelda murmurs. "You'll have his head and then your mission to avenge Uzuki will be through. We've been through this."

That makes sense to me now. That time years ago, just a while after Link first joined us, when we went out to erase some humans and Mitsuhiro didn't come back. And when Uzuki found him, he had bullet wounds through his chest . . . that must have been Makoto. I think I remember Mitsuhiro ranting on about something like that, about Makoto attempting to kill him.

"What about you?" Makoto asks, changing the subject completely. "Link's at the Academy now. What are you going to do about that?"

Zelda lets out another sigh, this one more stressful than the last. "I don't know. I can't believe he had the nerve to show up there."

"You're one step closer to your goal, though," Makoto points out.

Zelda snickers quietly to herself. "Yes, you're right. We'll see who the stronger Hylian is after all of this."

My ears twitch at what she says, and my heart starts to feel heavier in my chest. Zelda is after Link now too. Maybe not in such a violent manner as Makoto, but she's planning to do something to him.

I want to get up from my table so that I can warn Link, but I know that if I get up now Makoto and Zelda will notice me. So I continue to sit there, for the complete hour it takes for those two to get off their butts and leave their table. When they're finally gone, I anxiously get up from my chair and start to quickly walk-run away from the café.

But as I'm running through Hyrule, wondering where Link could be, I start to think that maybe it's not a good idea to tell him. Link has enough to worry about right now . . . does he need to know that Zelda is Zero?

Yes, he does. He absolutely does.


	18. NightOuts Just Don't Work for Us

**Time Gate: The Adult Chapters**

**Chapter 18: Night-Outs Just Don't Work For Us Anymore**

I slam my locker door shut and fling my school bag over my shoulder before heading down the nearly-empty hallway. The rest of us have gotten more comfortable with just waiting for the rest of the students to leave before we do. It gives us quiet to think, without having to worry about any other student listening in on our plans.

We've been at this for a little over a week now. I guess it's not as bad as I thought it would be – some days have actually been pretty fun too. The days are going by at a smooth rate, so I don't have to worry about being completely bored all the time. But being in the high school this past week and a half still has a bit of a sickly impact on me. Every time I walk through these doors, I begin to think of Saichi, Mikumi, Peter, Cyrus, Makoto, Higashizawa, Luma, Takuma, and all my other old friends. And according to Sadik, Mikumi and Saichi have gone missing now too, which has just added onto the list of problems and reasons to snap for me.

Kurenai and Matsuda are close to being fully recovered, but I don't think the emotional scars over their parents' death will ever go away. The main discussion at the house is what we're going to do with them after they've healed; we can't just throw them out to the streets, and sending them back to Kalasia is definitely not an option.

As for the Assassins, we haven't heard much from them since they forced this mission upon us. We sure have seen them though, like when I saw Makoto, Higashizawa, Taishou and Mikoshi at my betting booth when I was doing recon on the first day of school. And Link told me about his encounter with the silent Rei Ryuga. And Shuto told me about how he saw Zelda talking friendly to Makoto at one point . . . I haven't told Link about that one yet.

But even though the Assassins are apparently on 'our side', and only Zero and Makoto hate our guts, I still feel like I'm under surveillance, and it doesn't feel very friendly either. As for the disappearing students, nothing has really happened yet. I've been keeping an eye out for my sister everywhere I go, but I haven't managed to find her anywhere. I doubt if she was kidnapped that the Society would just let her run free . . . I don't want to think of her being tortured by them either, though. But we haven't heard of any other disappearances since we showed up here, and it makes me wonder if the Assassins – particularly Zero and Makoto – are just playing a game with us and are laughing at us right now. It wouldn't surprise me a whole lot, that's for sure.

The first person I run into in the hallway is Mitsuhiro. When I see his face, I'm immediately reminded of the breakdown he had back in the graveyard a week ago. It's been on my mind ever since it happened, and I can tell by the look on his face that it's been on his too.

"Hey, Mitsuhiro," I say to him. "Um, how are you?"

He only flashes a quick smile at me. "I'm fine . . . a little better than before."

"That's good to hear."

Mitsuhiro nods, but he still doesn't look too sure of himself. I stop him in the hallway, pulling him towards me with a tug of his hand.

"You know, Mitsuhiro, I think you just need to relax a bit," I tell him. "You've been really tense for the past week . . ."

He shrugs his shoulders. "It's nothing, Uzuki. Don't worry about it."

"You know that I can't believe you when you say not to worry about it," I say with a smile. "Look, how about we all go out tonight? You, me, Yashiro, and Shuto; we can head to the bar in southern Castle Town and just kick back for a while."

He stares at me for a moment, thinking over my request.

"Um, I don't really think . . ."

I tug on his hand again. "Come on, it'll be fun. Trust me."

He continues to stare at me, and eventually, he gives up.

"Fine. But just for a little while, okay?"

I nod, and then I walk ahead of him, pulling him with me as we head to the lobby, where Link, Shuto, and Yashiro have already gathered with their bags.

"So what's the plan for today?" Shuto asks after Mitsuhiro and I have joined the circle.

"We'll just do recon for an hour today," Link says. "And remember, we're looking for a red-haired girl too while we're doing recon."

Unexpectedly, Fara shows up from the hallway, walking straight in our direction.

"Oh, you're still here," Fara says with her gentle yet emotionless smile. "How are you doing today, Link?"

Link shrugs his shoulders. "Pretty good, I guess. My friends and I are just about to head out."

She smiles again. "Are you now? Do you mind if I come along for the walk? I would enjoy the extra company."

I shoot an irritated look at Link, but he ignores it and nods at Fara.

"Sure thing, Fara," he says. "We're all splitting up, so you can choose who to go with."

"Alright," she replies, still smiling.

I express my frustration to Link by kicking him in the back of his leg as we walk outside. He gives me an annoyed look; he's basically telling me that he doesn't want her to come along either, but he felt he had no choice.

_Sure thing, Link,_ I think to myself impatiently. _And she may as well just be the Reaper we're chasing after . . . befriending her is going to do us no good._

_I think he knows that_, the thing in my head sneers. _Just let him do his thing, Uzuki. He obviously has a plan. _

I roll my eyes at the voice in my head. I didn't ask for her opinion, but instead she growls at me for doing the horrible sin of just thinking to myself. That's right, the Thing is a 'she' now; even though she doesn't have my voice, she still has a female tone, so I'm just going to assume she's female for now.

Eventually, we all split off in our own directions; and sure enough, Fara goes with Link. I know now that if she's the Reaper from the Society, her first goal will be to get to the leader of the Time Keepers. I take out my C.T. crystal and keep my eyes glued to the tracker. If Link's name disappears from the map, I'll be in pure rage mode, and there will be no mercy.

I head to Hyrule Castle this time. I hate going to Hyrule Castle for recon; I can never get very far into the place because they only let royals in, and it's not like there's anyone at the Castle anyways. Even Princess Zelda goes to school every day now, so it's not like she's doing anything extremely important either.

When I make it to the gate, sure enough, there's a guard waiting for me.

"Sorry, little lady, but you can't-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know," I cut in. "I can't go in. No duh."

The man smirks at me. "Then you should know there's no point in coming here."

I let out an innocent, little-girl sigh. "That's too bad, really . . . I was really hoping I could get in. I just wanted to see the Castle Courtyard . . . it's been my dream to go there." I walk up really close to him, and fish out a yellow rupee from my pocket, holding it up right in front of his face. "That's just too bad, I guess."

The man looks around, and then snatches the rupee from my hand. Then he pulls the lever, and opens the gate.

"G-Go right ahead, ma'am," he coughs. Before I can make it through the gate, he grabs my hand, and hisses in my ear, "IT'S A SECRET TO EVERYONE."

I hold my finger to my lips and wink at him. "Your secret is safe with me," I giggle, and then I head up the slope that's past the gate. I manage to avoid the guards that are keeping watch over the path, and I make it all the way to the stone slabs that are indented into the cliff near the second gate. I climb up the slabs slowly, pulling myself up onto the cliff, and then I jump off on the other side, landing as quietly as I can. This is the part that I hate – now I'm going to have to go swimming in the mote. Why am I sneaking in anyways? The Princess probably isn't here, and if she was, she probably wouldn't be in the courtyard . . . so why am I wasting my time? I think I'm just bored. There's never anything going on in Hyrule Castle Town, so this is probably going to make the time go by a little quicker. Besides, I love making fools of the guards that serve here.

When I make it to the small tunnel that leads to the courtyard, I have to stop and think for a minute. I forgot all about the dang tunnel, and I'm probably too big to fit inside. But I try it anyways, just for shits. I push the crates of milk that Talon delivered today into position, and then I jump onto the ledge where the tunnel is. When I get down and start to crawl through, I realize how small I really am.

"Dang," I laugh to myself after I've made it through the tunnel. I start to look at my belly and then the rest of my body, and I realize that I'm just as skinny as Sadik and Makoto. I guess being partially anorexic has its up-sides.

I start to make my way through the courtyard, running through each section when the guards aren't looking and making faces at them when their backs are turned as I pass by them. They really are idiots . . . I guess I'll have to suggest to Zelda how shitty her guards are, if she doesn't know it already.

Finally, I make it to the main part of the courtyard – the gardens. I always loved the gardens here . . . the architecture of the castle surrounding it makes a nice touch, and they've managed to preserve so many different types of flowers here.

I don't spot Zelda here though. It doesn't at all surprise me. I guess I just wanted to see these gardens again; I haven't seen them in years, after all. But despite Zelda not being here, I stay in the garden, and I take the time to enjoy myself here. It really is beautiful . . . the gardens in the Dark Realm are pretty too, but they're nothing like this. And I don't get to just relax in the Dark Realm, not since the Society started chasing after me and my friends.

I'm just about ready to just let myself go and fall into the flowers when I hear a voice from behind me.

"What are you doing here?"

I look back to see not a guard, not even Impa, but a tall girl with blond hair that falls to her waist and sunglasses covering her eyes. Then I notice that she's a Hylian.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I was just-"

The girl stops me with a gesture of her hand. "It's fine. I'm not really supposed to be here either," she says, and smiles. "It's a pretty garden, isn't it?"

I nod. "Yes, it is," I sigh as I look to the blue sky above.

The girl sits down in the grass, and begins to pick at a daffodil, tearing its petals off and letting them fall gently to the ground.

"So, what's your reason for coming here?" she asks me. "Unless of course you just wanted to fool the guards."

I laugh. "Well, I guess I wanted to do that, but . . . I was just looking for someone."

"Princess Zelda?"

"Um . . . yeah."

"She never comes here anymore," the girl sighs.

"She doesn't?"

She shakes her head and lets the remaining center piece of the flower fall to the ground. Then she picks up another flower and starts to pull the petals off that one.

"She hasn't come here in years," she says regrettably. "It's too bad, really."

"You sure know a lot about the Princess," I mutter, feeling a little unsure of what she's saying.

"I'm an . . . old friend," she says. "I don't see much of her these days either."

"Yeah, well, it's hard to see someone who's busy running the kingdom, you know?" I laugh.

She smiles. "It is indeed . . ."

We sit there in silence for a few minutes. She's the first one to break the quiet, when she stands up, holding a fresh daisy in her hand.

"I'm going to make this quick, Uzuki-san," she mutters. The atmosphere around us has suddenly changed from a casual feel to a harsh, unfriendly one.

"Please do," I hiss. I knew it from the beginning; whoever this girl is, she's someone that I should know, who plays a role in all of this mess. Random people don't just stroll into the courtyard. Everyone who comes here has a reason and has a role to play in this game that we've been playing since Link was given his fairy in Kokiri Forest.

"I overheard a Reaper earlier," she starts to explain. "She's from the Society. They're planning on raiding the Royal Family Christmas party."

"They probably want to capture Princess Zelda, huh?" I ask her.

"I don't know. Whatever the reason, the Christmas party isn't going to go down well if the Reapers show up."

"Who are you?" I ask, switching the subject.

She takes her sunglasses off, revealing her sleek, crystal-blue eyes. They have a certain cruelty to them. After looking at just her eyes, without even having to read her aura, I know she means business.

"My name is not important," she growls.

"You're from the Assassins," I snicker, "aren't you?"

She looks away with an expression of regret. "That doesn't matter right now. Isn't it your responsibility, as a Time Keeper, to make sure that nobody is hurt by the Society?"

_I can't argue with that,_ I think to myself in defeat. I hesitantly nod with her statement, and she replies with a smile.

"Then it's settled," she says. "When Christmas time rolls around, whether you're still at the Academy or not, you'll give us a hand getting rid of those Reapers."

"So you'll be there too?"

"No, not me, but a representative will be," she snickers as she flashes a quick, evil smile.

_What could she mean by that? No, it's best not to worry about that now . . . _

The girl backs away from me, and pulls out what I immediately recognize as a flash bomb.

"We'll see you later, then, Uzuki-chan," she giggles, and after throwing the bomb to the ground, she disappears in a flash of bright white light.

I stand there for a moment after she's gone to think through what just happened. Now we have a mission that we can't achieve until Christmas . . . Goddess Farore help us if we're still in the Academy by December. If we're lucky, we may be able to resolve this problem with the Reaper come Christmas time. Then we won't have to deal with it.

The first thing that pops into my mind is the tracker from Link's C.T. crystal. I haven't checked on him in a while, so when I think about it, I immediately pull my crystal from around my neck up to my gaze so I can check to see if his signal is still there. I sigh with relief when I see Link's name show up on the crystal's map.

**An Interlude**

Link and Fara walk through the streets of Castle Town, the both of them chatting away with smiles on their faces and two cups of coffee held in their hands.

"It's funny, I usually never drink coffee," Link says as he takes another sip from the drink. "Uzuki's usually the one who makes the coffee at home, and she really sucks at it too. The coffee they serve at the cafes are made much better . . ."

"You'd think after making so much coffee she'd learn how to make it properly," Fara giggles.

"I know, I keep telling her that too!" he laughs in response.

The two walk through an alleyway, until they reach an old, abandoned building.

"That house is empty, isn't it?" Fara asks as they stop in front of the house.

"Yeah, nobody's lived there in years," Link sighs. "It looks just about ready to fall down."

"It's too bad it's been abandoned," Fara says as she drags her hand across the front porch railing. "It really just needs someone to take care of it, to bring it back to its former glory."

Link stares at the rickety old house, its door halfway open on broken hinges, and its windows shattered. The house had visitors in the past, but not the kind of people a house would want to attract. Gangs, homeless children, and teenagers just looking to vandalize something have taken their toll on the old building.

Link lets out a sigh to break the silence between him and Fara.

"I'd best be heading back now, Fara," he tells her. "It was nice hanging out with you."

She smiles at him. "I thought it was fun too. If you don't mind, I think I'll hang around here a little longer. I have nothing to do anyways."

Link begins to hesitate, but then he smiles back in approval.

"Alright. Have a good day, Fara," he says before walking back down the alleyway, turning the corner and disappearing for good from Fara's vision.

Fara continues to stare at the worn-out house, keeping the delighted smile on her face. She hears a thump from behind her. When she turns around, she sees the red-haired girl, Shiyoru, leaning against the house on the other side of the alleyway road with her arms crossed and a toothpick clenched between her smirking teeth.

"My, my, you really have outdone yourself, Ixion," Shiyoru snickers.

"Did my sister order you to follow me around?" Fara sneers with a sharp, cold look of distaste. "Because personally, it's been bothering me ever since I arrived here. You may be sly, but I still know when a person is watching me."

Shiyoru adjusts her glasses. "So I'm guessing you're the smart one and your sister is the pretty one?" she snickers.

Fara's expression doesn't change. "Funny. I'll be sure to add that to my list of jokes," she says in an emotionless tone.

"Oh, you know I don't hate you," Shiyoru sighs as she leans forward from the wall, walking towards Fara, her boots hitting the ground as softly as a feather landing.

"Why are you so surprised that I'm able to put up with being here?" Fara asks as Shiyoru circles her. "You've been here for fifty years."

"It's not my fault I have to keep Sadik in line," Shiyoru groans. "I mean, she tried to escape from us fifty years ago . . . and get this – she thinks that we've stopped looking for her even after fifty years! The girl is too carefree. Why do we need her again?"

"She was supposed to hold one of the Four Demons," Fara replies. "She was to hold the Sairento no Akuma, but she escaped, so we were forced to put it into a different person. We've switched hosts since then though."

"Tabitha was the last host, correct?" Shiyoru asks. "You've placed the demon into a male since then, right?"

"Yes. We were to place the demon inside Jun Kaniji, but his blood didn't match up, and he was too valuable to give up at the time, so Iwata-san instead had him work side-by-side with him . . . the demon was compatible just fine with someone else from his family."

Shiyoru nods. "So let me guess . . . you're going to get me to take Sadik back when she least expects it? Or are you just going to have me kill her?"

Fara shakes her head in doubt. "I haven't been told of what to do with Sadik yet. Xixion should tell you what to do when the decision is made. Until then, just keep watch over her."

"And what of Link Nohansen Hyrule's group? Apparently Sadik came into contact with her old friend Uzuki Kasahara today."

Fara looks back at the house. "Leave that to me. I have a plan that's sure to work just fine . . . as long as I have your cooperation, Shiyoru."

Shiyoru's eyes scan the sky above as she begins to think. "Hmm . . . well, Xixion won't like it, but I always preferred you over her, so . . . alright, you've got yourself a deal. What do you want me to do?"

Fara walks up onto the porch of the house, the aged wood creaking underneath her shoes. She slides her fingers down the dirty surface of the door.

"We'll wait until after the attack on Hyrule Castle in December. Iwata-san wants us to bring the demons back, so that's what we'll do. We'll grab the two weaker ones first – the Sairento no Akuma and the Shiratsu no Akuma. We'll save the Kyodai no Akuma – both of them – for last."

Shiyoru kicks her toe against the ground and groans. "That sucks that there are two Kyodai no Akuma this time around . . . it just makes things harder."

Fara smiles at the annoyed red-haired Reaper. "No worries, Shiyoru. They travel together anyways, and they'll fight for each other's safety too. If we harm one, the other is bound to fight back; it's like catching fish."

Fara's smile widens into a toothy grin, revealing her small fangs. "Besides, challenges like these are always fun."

**Chapter 18 (continued)**

After our scouting, we all meet up at the house in the Dark Realm. Then I begin to tell Link and the others about my encounter with the Assassin and the attack that is to be engaged on the Royal Family Christmas party.

Yashiro lets out an annoyed groan after I'm done explaining.

"For shit's sakes, can't the stupid Royal Family take care of their own problems for once?" she growls as she opens a new bag of spicy quesadilla chips.

I scowl at her in disagreement. "Yashiro, isn't that why we're fighting in the first place? To stop the Society from harming Hyrule and its people?"

Yashiro growls something under her breath before continuing, "But it's only September, and the Christmas party isn't until Christmas Eve, in _December_! We'll have to wait three and a half months before we can stop them!"

I nod. "I thought about that too. We could try getting rid of the Reaper that's causing all of this before then. Maybe that will stop them from attacking the Royal Family."

"But it's not just one Reaper that's causing all of this," Shuto mumbles. "It's the entire Society. Even if you manage to get rid of one Reaper, there are still hundreds more that make up the structure of the Society. They're going to attack the Royal Family either way."

Link begins to tap his fingers against the kitchen table impatiently. "In the end, we're going to be stuck at the Academy for a little while."

Yashiro lets out another annoyed groan. I'm getting really sick of hearing her do that.

"Until _December_? That's crazy, guys!" she yells, bits of chewed-up chips flying from her mouth. "I can't put up with it that long!"

"And what about Kurenai and Matsuda?" Mitsuhiro adds. "When they're fully healed, it's going to be hard to find out what to do with them. They're too young to bring along with us."

"Not really," Link cuts in. "I was ten when I started my journey to defeat Ganon. And I was around Kurenai's age when you guys found me and asked me for my cooperation with you."

Mitsuhiro shoots Link a look of unfairness. "You don't really count though, Link. When you were on your journey to defeat Ganon, you spent most of your time in your adult form, thanks to the Master Sword. And when we found you, you had all of us to back you up."

"But Kurenai and Matsuda were taught methods of self-defense, Mitsuhiro," Link objects. "I wasn't taught a dang thing. I just picked up the sword and swung away; I learned on my own. And Kurenai and Matsuda aren't going to be alone either – they have the rest of us to watch their backs, just like how all of you guys watched mine when I was younger."

Mitsuhiro shrugs his shoulders in defeat. "Whatever you think works. I just think it would be a better idea if we kept them out of this fight. They're too young."

I sit down next to Link. "I don't really know what to do with them . . . if they want to fight with us, then I have nothing against it. But I also think they may be too young to help us right now. So I guess my opinion doesn't matter much because I agree with the both of you, but . . . we should just let them do what they want to do. They're Angels, after all; they're capable of good judgement."

Shuto snickers at my joke, and so does Mitsuhiro.

Link raises his hand to add something to our conversation.

"I also met Rei Ryuga, of the Assassins," Link says.

"Rei Ryuga? He must not be a member of higher status, because I've never heard of him," I reply.

"Same here," Mitsuhiro says. "His name doesn't ring a bell at all."

"He's, um . . . well, he can't talk," Link mutters.

"How'd you have a conversation with him then?" I ask curiously.

"He wrote things down for me," Link says. "Uzuki, he was the one that told me that it was only Zero and Makoto that hates us. Zero's out to prove a point to someone, and Makoto is out for blood."

"_My_ blood," Mitsuhiro sneers in disgust. "I wish that guy would just let it go."

"Let what go?" I ask.

Mitsuhiro looks away. " . . . Nothing. I shouldn't have said anything. Sorry."

I start to feel that this may have something to do with his meltdown back at the graveyard, but I push it to the back of my mind for now.

"Anyway, Rei mentioned something about Sadik's friend being a traitor," Link continues. "Some red-haired girl named Shiyoru."

"Sadik mentioned Shiyoru to me a few times before," I intervene. "She said that she's been friends with her for a good fifty years now. Are you saying that Shiyoru is deceiving Sadik?"

"Apparently she's from one of the higher-up's squads in the Society," Link mumbles.

I let my head fall back over the back of my chair, so that I'm staring up at the ceiling.

"This is too much . . ." I groan. "If Shiyoru is a traitor, shouldn't Sadik know by now? Gah . . ."

"Let's not worry too much about that now," Shuto says. "If Shiyoru was a traitor, don't you think she would have deceived Sadik a long time ago? She doesn't seem to be anxious to get her true goal over with any time soon, if she's a traitor."

I get up from my chair and head to the closet in the hallway, grabbing a vodka cooler from inside it and popping open the bottle. I take a sip of the alcoholic drink before leaning against the wall.

"Both my brothers are in the Assassins too now, apparently," I sigh. "I saw them with Makoto and Higashizawa last week, when we were scouting. Makoto and Higashizawa wouldn't hang out with my brothers just for fun . . . which means that Taishou and Mikoshi must be Assassins too."

Link lets out a cough, and starts to look around with a look of innocence. "Um, yeah, we, uh . . . already knew that."

I lift my head when he says that, my eyes immediately locking on him. " . . . Excuse me?"

"We found out about Taishou and Mikoshi a long time ago," Link sighs. "But we didn't think it would be a good idea to tell you right away, so we kept it a secret."

I feel like smashing my vodka cooler bottle over his head right now. Then I can stand over him happily while he writhes around on the floor with glass in his face as he suffocates on his own blood.

"Uzuki. Uzuki, whatever you're thinking, get it out of your head right now," Mitsuhiro snarls at me. I realize that I had been smiling my evil, ready-to-kill smile.

"I'm . . . sorry about that," I sigh as I take another sip from my drink to calm me down, letting out a loose giggle before biting down on my lip to stop any more lunatic thoughts. I adjust my sunglasses before grabbing my fur-hooded jacket that's hanging on the jacket rack near the door, slipping myself inside it and pulling the hood over my head.

"Mitsuhiro, are you still up with hanging out tonight?" I ask him. "I really need to grab a few drinks to calm myself down."

Mitsuhiro gets up from his chair. "I guess so. I need to find some peace anyways, so I may as well go with you."

Yashiro perks her head up. "What? Are we heading to a bar or something?"

"Yep, the four of us. And Link, if he wants to come along," I mutter as I push my bangs away from in front of my sunglasses.

Link shakes his head. "Now is not the time to be getting drunk at a bar, thank you. And you know I don't drink."

"We're not going to get drunk," Yashiro mutters. "Shuto and I don't drink either. Unless root beer counts as alcohol," she laughs.

Link shakes his head. "You guys go ahead and have fun. I'm going to stay here and keep an eye on Kurenai and Matsuda."

Shuto steps forward. "Oh, Link, there's something I need to tell you."

Link looks at him. Even from the other side of the room, I can see the stress that's in Link's eyes. And I can tell that Shuto sees it too.

"Um . . . no, never mind," he mutters, scratching his head. "I forgot."

"Alright," Link replies. "Tell me if you remember."

We all wave him goodbye.

"See you later, Link," I tell him.

"Have fun," Yashiro snickers.

"Don't wait up," Mitsuhiro mumbles.

"Tell Matsuda to take his painkiller pills!" Shuto exclaims.

Then all four of us walk out the door and head into the shadow portal that Mitsuhiro opens with a wave of his hand.

When we get to the bar, in our human forms, we immediately find a table at the back of the bar. It's pretty busy tonight. Men getting off from work are playing cards at their tables, and any women that are here are trying to coax their husbands out of their alcoholic state and attempting to shoo them out the door. There are a few women here that are getting in on the fun that's held here though. The bartender, a young man with a light layer of beard on his face and spiky black hair, comes to our table and asks us if we want a drink.

"No alcohol for me, please," Shuto says.

"What he said," Yashiro grumbles.

"Do you have leaded punch here?" I ask the bartender. He gives me a funny look.

"How old are you?" he asks me.

"Twenty-one."

He continues to give me that look of doubt.

" . . . and a half."

He finally takes his doubtful look away from me and turns to Mitsuhiro. "And you?"

"Same."

He nods and walks away from our table, and quickly comes back with two glasses of a pink-flavored drink. I immediately start to drink it when it reaches my hand.

Yashiro gives me a look of disgust. "I have no clue how you can drink that fucking stuff."

I shake my head at her. "It's good. Try it." I push the drink towards her.

"Nu-uh," Yashiro laughs. "I'll pass on getting drunk, thank you."

"It's been a while since we've been able to do stuff like this, huh?" Shuto says. "Although, when we were younger, we probably wouldn't have gathered at a bar."

"Nah, we would have just partied at somebody else's house. Probably mine," Yashiro laughs. "Or yours, Shuto. No way would anybody hang out at Uzuki's place for a party."

I shrug my shoulders in defeat. "Ah, well. Even I didn't like hanging out at my place, even just during the day. I'm glad I was able to finally get out of there."

"Even if it meant _dying_?" Mitsuhiro asks me with a raise of his eyebrow before taking a sip from his own punch.

"Sure," I snicker. "I was about ready to kill myself anyways."

Mitsuhiro sets his glass down on the table. "Come on, Uzuki, don't talk like that. Let's have a fun night, alright?"

I smile at him before taking another sip from my drink. As I swallow the alcohol down, I hear the bell from the front of the bar ring; it rings every time the door opens, whether a customer is entering or leaving.

A look of shock suddenly crosses Yashiro's face. She leans over to me and whispers at me through clenched teeth, "Uzuki! Your friends from the mental asylum are here!"

I give her a funny look before turning around to see what she means. Sure enough, the people that have entered the bar are Makoto, Higashizawa, and both my brothers; people that would definitely get thrown into a mental asylum for their own, very good reasons. I quickly turn back around again, trying to hide my head underneath my hands.

"No, no, this can't be happening!" I cry as quietly as I can to the rest of the group. "What the hell is Mikoshi doing in a bar? That goes against everything he believes in!"

"Beats me," Shuto hisses as he tries to hide himself as well, although he doesn't have as much reason to hide as Yashiro, Mitsuhiro and I; back in the high school days, Shuto spent most of his time in a hospital. Everyone who's showed up unexpectedly have something against us or are important people in our lives; Makoto and Higashizawa are Yashiro's brothers, Makoto hates Mitsuhiro's guts for some reason and is trying to kill him, Taishou and Mikoshi are my brothers, Mikoshi has a bit of a grudge against Yashiro because he says she swears too much, Higashizawa loved to draw with me when I was alive, and Makoto and I share a rather vicious past that I'd rather not talk about. It's just a huge jumble of previous shit that's biting me in the butt right at this very moment.

When I look back, I see Makoto sitting down at the barstools near the counter with the three other boys. Maybe they haven't noticed us? I take a sigh of relief and turn back around, still keeping my hands on my head just in case, and throwing my jazz hat over my head for good measure.

"That's not going to work, you know," Mitsuhiro grumbles. "They're probably going to find you."

I glare at him. "Mitsuhiro, don't you dare-"

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the girl from the betting booth!" Makoto sneers, and when I look back, I see that he's suddenly standing behind me with my brothers and Higashizawa.

"-jinx it," I finish as I shoot another glare at Mitsuhiro. He gives me an apologetic look.

Makoto leans onto the table next to me, and takes a sip from my leaded punch, and smiles.

"I didn't know you liked moonshine," he laughs. I don't say anything; his breath smells like strong alcohol now.

"Go away," I growl. Makoto smirks his insane smirk, and grabs my shoulder, forcing me to look at him.

"Now, you didn't let Taishou play your little game yesterday," he snickers as he points up to Taishou, his massive form standing over me like an slayer ready to kill. A wide, disturbing smile grows from his face, his eyes staring at me, teeming with signs of pure insanity, and he lifts his huge, metal-gloved hands and cracks his knuckles. Then he snaps his neck to the side. He means business, even if I am his sister and he obviously knows it. He's testing me.

Makoto whacks me hard over the head, knocking the jazz hat away and onto the floor. I see Mikoshi flinch from behind Higashizawa. He doesn't like seeing this, I can tell; even being in this bar is hard enough for him. Then Makoto grabs my shoulder and spins me around, his hand curled into a fist and held high, ready to strike. I don't let him strike though. His hand gripping tightly onto my shirt, I give him the most intimidating look I can, mentally telling him that this battle is on. I grab the hand that's holding my shirt, and then I flip backwards in my chair, the back of the chair hitting the table and preventing it from hitting the ground as I flip Makoto over my head and towards Yashiro.

"Do it now, Yashiro!" I call, although I have no idea why. Yashiro's in her human form now; therefore, her fighting skills probably suck ass. I know Yashiro is thinking the same thing, but she rears her fist back and punches Makoto so hard in the face, he goes flying over our table and slides all the way to the door of the bar. He gives us a fierce look from the other side of the room as he wipes the spot where Yashiro hit him, not paying any attention to the people around us watching and the bartender making a shooing motion with his cloth, demanding that we take the fight outside.

I manage to give Yashiro a quick look of surprise before I pull my chair back to its original position, getting to my feet afterwards and charging straight at the defenseless Makoto, past the other boys who are watching us in surprise now, and then pulling my hand back behind me and preparing it for battle by tightening it into a tense fist.

By the time I get to him, he's already on his feet, but he can't get himself ready quick enough and I've already punched him so hard he flies out the door, into the alleyway and straight into a pile of wooden crates, the wood shattering and flying everywhere like exploding confetti.

I look down at my fist. I've never been able to punch that hard, especially in my human form. I quickly ignore my astonishment and snap to my senses, however, when Makoto leaps up from the pile of destroyed wood, wall-kicking himself straight towards Uzuki with his leg pulled back and ready to kick. Uzuki blocks his leg when it comes towards her face with the flat of her elbow, and grabs his ankle, whipping him around and throwing him into the air, towards the roof of another building. He lands on his feet on the roof, and challenges Uzuki by gesturing at her to follow him onto the roof.

Without thinking, Uzuki dashes for the wall, her hair straightening and darkening in color, and pulls out her sunglasses and rests them on her eyes before charging straight up the wall like a spider.

**A Short Interlude**

With Yashiro gone, having chased Uzuki outside to get a bit of the action, Mitsuhiro and Shuto continue to sit at their table, Mitsuhiro taking continuous sips from his leaded punch as the two boys stare down Uzuki's brothers and Higashizawa.

"She would have probably changed into her Reaper form, wouldn't she?" Mitsuhiro asks Shuto casually as the three boys from Makoto's side watch them without saying a word.

"Probably," Shuto replies as he takes a sip from the tea that the bartender had brought him in thanks for not starting a fight. "She's smart; she would have realized that it's dark out and that she can turn into a Reaper. Do you think she'll defeat Makoto?"

"Who knows," Mitsuhiro says. Then he turns to the boys. "What about you three? Even though you're not doing anything to harm us, your village idiot just started a fight with one of our co-leaders; I think that means we're going to have to back her up now."

Taishou snaps his neck to the side and begins to crack his knuckles again. Higashizawa pulls out several shuriken from his overcoat. Mikoshi reaches into the holster on his belt and draws out his revolver pistol, loading the gun with several bullets.

Mitsuhiro chugs down his alcohol shot in one sip, and throws the glass to the ground, shattering it to pieces. Then he stands up – and even though it doesn't appear as so to the Assassins – changes into his Reaper form, his demon-infused katana appearing at his side. Shuto's blond hair shortens like paper burning, the golden color darkening to black, and his arms growing thicker as his height shrinks by less than a foot. Then he takes his glasses and drops them to the floor as well, next to the broken shot glass on the ground.

"Shuto," Mitsuhiro mumbles. "Contact Yashiro. Tell her we're going to have one hell of a night."

Shuto giggles to himself as he writes a message to Yashiro with his C.T. crystal.

"This is going to be enjoyable," Mitsuhiro snickers as he readies his katana, going into a battle stance.

"Indeed," Higashizawa laughs back as he goes into his own stance.

Shuto clicks the _SEND _button on the crystal.

_Night-outs just don't work for us anymore, huh? _

_-Shuto_

**Chapter 18 (continued)**

It's so much nicer to be in my Reaper form again. I can use my scythe. I'm faster. Not to mention that I pretty well can't die, unless Makoto has some kind of light spell infused in the bullets of those guns of his. I gotta hand it to him though, the guy is quick. Even when I'm one of the quickest Time Keepers, who mainly relies on speed and accuracy, I'm still having a hard time keeping up with him.

Makoto leaps to the next rooftop, and I follow after him, dragging my scythe behind me. At one point he stops, and then spins around with what look like needles, and throws them straight at me. I try to dodge them all, but one of them ends up grazing my side. I know what he's using those needles for. Like me, Makoto likes to fight with Venom-style. It's a style of fighting that targets the nerves, and acupuncture needles do well with that. I don't use needles much – I mostly just use my hands – but Makoto seems intent on using them on me right now. He's so used to throwing knives around that it's probably easier and more comfortable for him too.

I come to a quick halt on my bandaged feet, and I swing my scythe at him. He jumps into the air, landing on the blade of my weapon, and then jumps into the air again, pulling out his guns in one fluid movement and shooting at me right away without even having to load them. I use the metal of my scythe blade to block the bullets, their tiny bodies bouncing off the curved front of my scythe. As he starts to fall through the air, I don't waste a second to drop my scythe and jump up after him, grabbing his wrists as he frantically pulls the triggers of his guns, trying to disarm me with no luck, and then I somersault multiple times through the air with his wrists still grasped between my hands, swinging him through the air and finally letting go, throwing him straight into the chimney of the house. The bricks crumble from the sudden impact, and when Makoto stands up, he staggers to his feet, completely disoriented. He comes to his senses quickly however, and starts to charge at me again, putting his guns away and taking out two knives for each hand.

Makoto begins to crazily hack at me with his knives, a wild look in his eyes as he does it. I manage to dodge all of his attacks, but as he swings at me, he begins to push me closer and closer to the edge of the roof. I'm running out of space to escape to. And this building that we're on is high too; the ground looks like it's about fifteen feet away.

Eventually, I'm on the edge of the roof, and I'm trying to think of how to get myself out of this mess. When Makoto strikes at me again, I grab his wrist, trying to keep him from pushing the blade straight into my face. I use the opportunity to kick him in the shin, knocking him down slightly, and then I fling him around me, throwing the both of us off the roof. Before we hit the ground, I give him a good punch in the face, and as I had been hoping, I end up on top, landing on top of him when we hit the ground, the bricks pushing inwards from all the weight.

With Makoto embedded in his own shape on the brick ground, he takes a vengeful punch at me, and knocks me backwards, straight into the wall of the house we had just jumped off. I hit the brick wall hard, and he starts to punch at me with no end in sight, mostly hitting me in the face but being sure to add a few hits into my stomach as well.

Then, after the fiftieth punch, I blank out.

**An Interlude**

Shuto peers around the corner of the building, where he sees the black-haired brother of Uzuki Kasahara standing at the other end of the alleyway, the revolver pistol in his hand. He pulls himself back around the corner to hide himself so that he can prepare the machines that are strapped to his arms and hands like oversized gloves. Then he checks the one wrapped around his torso.

Suddenly, Higashizawa appears in an explosion of smoke next to him. Shuto freezes, but Higashizawa doesn't do anything. Instead, he bursts into laughter.

He slaps his own forehead. "Shoot! I was looking for that other girl. Have you seen her anywhere?"

"Um . . . Yashiro-chan?" Shuto asks innocently and as quietly as he can so that Mikoshi doesn't hear him from around the corner.

A grim look crosses Higashizawa's face. "I'm not looking for my sister; she's dead. I'm looking for the black-haired girl that _looks _like my sister."

Shuto shrugs his shoulders. Even if he did knew, he wouldn't give her away, but he really doesn't have a clue where she ran off to.

Higashizawa sighs. "Well, thank you for being honest, at least," he says, and throws a round, grey object to the ground. It explodes into a cloud of smoke, and when the smoke disappears, Higashizawa is gone.

"Weird," Shuto mutters to himself. When he looks around the corner to see if Mikoshi is still there, he turns straight into Mikoshi's chest. Mikoshi holds the gun straight out to Shuto, pressing the nose of the gun into his sweaty forehead.

Shuto holds his hands up as if to admit defeat. "Oh, looks like you got me," he groans. Mikoshi smiles, but before he can do anything to him, huge blasts of sound burst from the palms of Shuto's hands; or to be more clear, from the machines themselves that are covering his hands and arms up to his shoulders. Mikoshi flies backwards, skidding along the path of another alleyway and not coming to a stop until he's a good twenty meters away from Shuto.

Shuto shakes his hands out as he readies his machines again, walking straight towards the perplexed Mikoshi as he tries to get back to his feet.

"Did you honestly think I would give up that easily?" Shuto growls as he lifts Mikoshi up by the collar of his shirt with one hand and blasts another sound wave into Mikoshi's chest with the other, letting go at the last second and blowing Makoto back another twenty meters. Shuto shakes his hands out again as he walks up to Mikoshi's grounded body, and doesn't even bother to lift him up before he stretches both hands out to him with his palms outstretched, blasting two more rounds of sound waves at him.

Dirt and dust blows up from where the sound waves hit the ground, and when the dust settles, Mikoshi spits the blood from his mouth at Shuto's feet as he tries his hardest to stay conscious.

Yashiro and Taishou charge at each other again, their hands clashing into one another's. Their fingers close over each other's hands as they try to push the other one down, their eyes fiery with rage and pure strength.

"You're pretty strong," Taishou grunts as he tries to push harder on Yashiro's smaller hands.

"You too . . . for a human," Yashiro laughs back.

Taishou smiles his outrageous, lunatic smile at her, completely satisfied with her response. But then he lets out a yell as Yashiro tightens her grip on his hands and only lets go of him after she's pulled him around and thrown him into a nearby wall, his body breaking straight through the bricks of the house.

When Taishou emerges, he first pats the dust and rubble off his shoulders with his gloved hands. Then he cracks his neck. But before he can get out of the ruins of the house, there's a burst of smoke, and Higashizawa appears between the two of them, facing in Taishou's direction.

"Taishou-san, have you seen that girl that looks like Yashiro?"

Taishou doesn't say anything. He lifts his metal-gloved finger and points straight past Higashizawa. He turns around to see Yashiro standing there, completely surprised.

"Oh look, she _does _look like Yashiro!" Higashizawa exclaims. ". . . Or at least, she _did_ a few minutes ago." He scratches the small goatee on his chin curiously as he stares at her, examining her face and body. "That's rather odd."

"She's in her Reaper form, Higashi," Taishou sighs as he tries to calm himself by rubbing his temples.

"Oh, so she's a Reaper, is she?" Higashizawa asks, his eyes widening in wonder as he continues to survey her. "Interesting."

Taishou lets out a groan. "Higashizawa, she's your sister, alright? Why won't you just accept that?"

Higashizawa casts a cold glare at Taishou. "Do you think I'll believe that for a second? Yashiro is dead."

"No, she's not," Yashiro mutters with a roll of her eyes. "Taishou's right. I'm a Reaper, Higashi."

Higashizawa furiously shakes his head. "I refuse to believe it!" Then he pulls out a huge sword, much like Yashiro's own blade. "You're a Time Keeper, which unfortunately means we must fight you. Prepare your weapon!"

Yashiro doesn't say a word as she pulls out her own sword, the one that looks the exact same as Higashizawa's.

**Chapter 18 (continued)**

Thank the Goddess Din that Mitsuhiro showed up. Makoto was just about ready to carve my face open like a Christmas turkey. I probably wouldn't have a face _left_ if he hadn't shown up with such good timing. Now, we're back on the roof, Mitsuhiro and I on one side and Makoto on the other.

"This is it, Minamimoto!" Makoto screams as he twirls his knife in his hand, his feet planted on the surface of the flat house roof. "It's time I ended this! You're finally going to die here!"

Mitsuhiro shakes his head in denial. "You're the one that's going to die, Makoto. Stop making false accusations and just accept what's happened! Everything that happened wasn't the way you think it is!"

I look at Mitsuhiro with an expression of wonder. What could he be talking about? Is it something about why Makoto has such a grudge against Mitsuhiro? Unfortunately, this isn't the place to ask questions, as much as I wish it could be.

"I know it's you, Uzuki!" Makoto yells, directing his attention to me now. "You can hide all you want; I know that you're a Reaper now! And I know that Yashiro is with you too."

I want to say no. I want to tell him that I'm someone else. But as much as I want to say it, I know that Makoto isn't that stupid. It's obvious by what happened the other day that I'm the girl that he knew almost six years ago. I'm the girl who tricked people, who was easy to like firsthand and would probably be called a bitch later after getting to know better. I'm the girl with the curly hair and the jazz hat and the pen markings on my arms and the aura-reading eyes. There's no denying it. I wasn't careful enough, and now he knows my secret.

I, Uzuki Kasahara, am alive.

Makoto snaps his neck in both directions, his teeth grinding together as he prepares a throwing knife in his hand.

"Now I just have to have you admit it!" Makoto shouts as he charges at us with his knife, a wild fire igniting in his eyes.

Before I can think of trying to defend, Mitsuhiro is in front of me, stopping Makoto by holding his hand out and pushing Makoto in the forehead, shoving him back. But Makoto's swing still hits him, and the knife slices through Mitsuhiro's stomach area. Mitsuhiro ignores the gash that's going through his stomach, and focuses his Soul power to his hands as he blows Makoto back with a huge force of energy.

I let out a shriek when I see just how bad Mitsuhiro's wound is. The knife that Makoto had sliced him with had cut through deep; and it got there because he was trying to protect me. Mitsuhiro clutches his wound and staggers forward, but I catch him, holding him up by his other hand.

"Mitsuhiro!" I scream.

"I'm fine . . ." Mitsuhiro breathes, pulling his hand away from his wound. "We have to take care of Makoto. There's no time to worry about a simple flesh wound."

That's one of the things I've always admired about Mitsuhiro: his perseverance. No matter how tough or gory things get, he just keeps going, and doesn't stop until he's won.

Mitsuhiro shuffles over to me, and talks quietly in my ear.

"We're not going to finish this battle, Uzuki," he says. "We have to find Yashiro so that we can teleport out of here."

"Okay," I whisper back. I grab my C.T. crystal that's tied around my neck and turn on the tracker. Nobody's name shows up. Then the word _CONNECTING _shows up.

Dang. It has to find the signal first. I hate that.

Makoto is back on his feet now, and running straight for us.

"Mitsuhiro, you're going to have to hold him off until I get the signal," I tell him. "Can you do that?"

Despite how painful the wound on his stomach should be, he nods anyways, and pulls out his katana.

I back away from him, the C.T. crystal in my hand. When Makoto is about ten feet away from him, he swings his blade through the air, launching a black wave of energy straight at him. The wave hits Makoto hard, the shadows cutting straight through him but leaving no mark, just knocking him back further.

"Come on, hurry!" I urge the crystal as it tries to locate the signals from the other C.T. crystals. I look up at Mitsuhiro, who's desperately trying to hold Makoto back. Makoto is swinging at him with his knives, the metal of his handheld weapons hitting the steel of Mitsuhiro's katana. He looks ready to faint . . . I continue to yell at the crystal, even though I know it can't respond.

Then, Yashiro's, Link's, Zelda's, and Shuto's names show up on the crystal. I immediately focus my attention on Yashiro's name. According to the crystal, she should be . . .

. . . right below us.

I suddenly feel a rumble beneath my feet, and from out of nowhere, the roof below our feet crumbles from under us. I grab onto Mitsuhiro's hand as we fall through the ceiling, catching him and hitting the ground with him. When I look up, I see Yashiro standing there with Taishou, their hands locked together. I don't know where Makoto is, but he's at the back of my mind right now.

"Yashiro!" I yell. She looks at me, keeping her hands tightly linked with Taishou's as they try to push each other over. "Get over here, now! We're escaping!"

Yashiro groans in disappointment and throws Taishou into one of the house walls that aren't crumbled to bits. Then she sprints for me and Mitsuhiro and grabs us both. Before Makoto and Taishou can reach us, our bodies warp into nothingness, disappearing completely among the ruins of the house.

I nudge the door open with my foot, Mitsuhiro balanced across my shoulders as I help him inside. Shuto and Yashiro follow behind us.

I come face to face with Link. He's completely stunned when he sees the state Mitsuhiro is in.

"What happened?" he asks me in shock as he runs to me to help with Mitsuhiro. He takes Mitsuhiro off my hands and takes him into the living room. "Did the Society find you?"

I shake my head. I almost wish it was the Society that found us, actually. At least then I wouldn't have to put up with the sad reality that Makoto wants Mitsuhiro dead.

"The Assassins," I answer. "Taishou, Mikoshi, Higashizawa, and Makoto. They found us while we were at the bar, and they . . . let's just say we didn't have a pleasant conversation over whiskey and vodka."

Link gently rests Mitsuhiro onto the couch, and then leaves the rest to Shuto to help Yashiro with her own wounds; she's really just bruised all over from Taishou's oversized fists.

Shuto reaches over and rips Mitsuhiro's shirt open to get at the deep and bloody gash that's going straight through Mitsuhiro's stomach. He races to the kitchen and comes back in less than a second with a bottle of water and a vial of a clear liquid. He pours the liquid into the water bottle.

"Now, just hold on, Mitsuhiro," Shuto says as he begins to tilt the open bottle over Mitsuhiro's wound. "This will sting a lot at first, but it will help your wound heal." Then the water with the clear liquid mixed inside gushes out of the top of the bottle, pouring over Mitsuhiro's open wound. Mitsuhiro suddenly bursts into a fit of screaming, the muscles in his arms stiffening and his hands curling into fists as he thrashes around on the couch. He tries to hold his own anger back by biting down hard on his lip, but you can tell by the shrieks that are managing to escape his lips that the drugged water is making it a lot more painful for him.

Mitsuhiro starts to let out whimpers, but at least it looks like the stinging has subsided even a little bit. He rests his head against the top of the couch and continues to let out pain-filled moans and cries. His fists finally uncurl, and I can see his muscles relax as the pain lessens more and more.

I sit down next to Mitsuhiro and squeeze his hand, letting him know that I'm here to comfort him.

Shuto wipes the sweat off his brow and tosses the empty bottle to the floor. Then he sits on top of the coffee table and hangs his head down low, staring at the floor.

"That was too close . . ." he breathes. "It's not safe in Hyrule for us right now . . . the Society isn't the only thing we have to worry about. It seems Makoto is intent on killing you, Mitsuhiro."

Mitsuhiro doesn't say anything. He just continues to breathe heavily, sweat running down the side of his face and down his pale chest. I curl up next to him to help him relax, and I begin to gently stroke his arm. It's hard to look at the wound he has. It's not the worst that he's had, but it's still gruesome to look at, especially with the occasional glistening of the water working into his system.

"So, what next?" I ask, looking to Shuto for an answer. Shuto lifts his head, and then shrugs his shoulders in doubt.

"I don't know. Let's just continue on with our current mission," he says. "We should try to keep ourselves away from the Assassins as much as possible, if we can . . ." His eyes suddenly widen. "Oh yes, that reminds me of something important I was supposed to tell Link!"

I tilt my head curiously at him. "What is it?"

"Zero of the Assassins is actually Zelda!"

I jump to my feet, causing Mitsuhiro to wince in pain. I give him an apologetic smile before turning my attention to Shuto again.

"She's _what?_"

"I'm not lying, I swear!" Shuto promises as he crosses his hand over his heart. "A long while ago I saw Zelda sitting with Makoto and having a debate about him! Makoto's trying to kill Mitsuhiro-"

"We already know that," I hiss angrily.

"-and Zelda is after Link!" Shuto finishes.

I throw my hands into the air in amazement. "And _why_didn't you tell us this _earlier_?" I exclaim hysterically. "You said this happened a long while ago?"

"Our first day of scouting!" Shuto answers.

I groan again. "Shuto! This is really something you should tell us earlier!"

"I know, I'm sorry. It's just, Link has enough problems to deal with now; I figured it would just make it worse if I told him what Zelda was up to."

I turn in the direction of the hallway to get Link, but Shuto stops me.

"Please don't tell him right now, Uzuki," Shuto begs me, his hand gripping my wrist.

"Shuto, this is important! Zelda's an Assassin!" I cry out.

"I know, but we may be getting the wrong idea here," Shuto says. "We should find out more before we go dropping the bomb on Link."

He's wrong. But he's right at the same time. It might be safer to find out more about what Zelda is doing with the Assassins before tell Link.

I look at the hallway that leads to Link's room, and then I look at Shuto.

Then I release the cry of defeat that I've been holding out since he spoke the very words.

"Alright, alright!" I growl, holding my hands up in defeat.

Shuto pats my shoulder. "Thank you, Uzuki-chan."

I scowl at him and give him a good whack over the head. "Whatever. I'm not going to enjoy this."

Shuto smiles at me. "Thank you anyways."


	19. Reputations and HeartBreaking Truths

**Time Gate: The Adult Chapters**

**Chapter 19: Reputations and Heart-Breaking Truths**

I sure have gotten myself into trouble now.

I don't even remember how I got into this mess. One minute I was just standing with a bunch of other guys in the training grounds behind the Academy, having a pleasant little conversation about our Hylian homework, when Makoto Takahashi of all people showed up with two guns in his hands and declaration for battle. Now a large arena has been formed by the students who have gathered in a circle to watch, cheering and encouraging us to beat the shit out of each other.

So what do I do now?

Well, I guess I'm going to have to beat the shit out of Yashiro's crazy stepbrother. So much for trying to distance ourselves from the Assassins.

I can't help but feel that Makoto is just looking for a random Time Keeper to beat up. I guess I was the first one he could find.

"Come on, buddy!" Makoto laughs maniacally as he prances around on his feet, spinning his guns around like batons. "Make your move!"

Being sure to keep a safe distance form him, I circle around the arena with a kunai in my hand. Even though he has guns, I don't want to use any deadly weapons.

As I'm circling Makoto, I begin to hear whispers from the crowd.

"That black-haired guy doesn't even to this school, does he?"

"Isn't that guy the new student?"

"Wait a minute . . . that shorty is Makoto! Maniac Makoto!"

"Is it really? Oh man, fairy boy's dead now."

I try to ignore the gossip so I can focus, but it seems like Makoto has a pretty rough reputation around here.

"Move your ass, fairy boy!" Makoto yells. "I'm getting bored!"

_Why won't he attack? _I think to myself. _He could have attacked at any time, but . . ._

I let out a sigh and squeeze the handle of my kunai before throwing away all my confusions and doubts, and then I charge straight at him with the kunai held forward.

Makoto stops prancing as I make a beeline towards him, and he readies himself into a fighting stance, one gun held forward, one back. I leap at him with the kunai grasped tightly in my hand, and as I fall towards him, he presses both guns into my stomach, and pulls the triggers.

**An Interlude**

Uzuki passes through the cemetery gate, carrying her umbrella over her shoulder. She had noticed the dark spots in the sky earlier, so she had brought an umbrella in case of rain. The sky is particularly darker over the cemetery, making the place look unwelcoming and devoid of any form of happiness. As she walks deeper into the graveyard, she soon spots Mitsuhiro by her grave, appearing a lot more subtle and together than he did the last time. Uzuki anxiously makes her way towards him, and as she gets closer, he stands up from his crouched position, a look of heavy sorrow on his face.

"Hi, Mitsuhiro," she greets him with a sweet smile.

He takes a breath before taking Uzuki's small, cold hands into his. She looks up at him with a worried face, and he winces before taking another breath.

"Uzuki . . . I have something important to tell you," he begins, his voice shaky and fragile.

Uzuki lets out a sigh. "I'm listening."

Mitsuhiro's hands twitch slightly in Uzuki's grasp. "Before I tell you this, Uzuki, I want you to know how important you are to me. I swear on my life – both of them – that I wouldn't do _anything _to hurt you."

Uzuki slowly nods. "I know."

Mitsuhiro forces a swallow, and tries to calm his shaking hands.

"Uzuki, I've been keeping a secret from you for a long time now . . . I should have told you a long time ago, but I was too afraid . . ."

Uzuki stares at him intently as he speaks.

Mitsuhiro takes a deep breath, biting down on his lip to stop the stinging tears that are now forming in his eyes.

"I . . . was the one that killed you, Uzuki."

Uzuki's grip on Mitsuhiro's hands tightens, and her eyes begin to wobble as she processes his words.

"I'm so sorry-"

He can't finish his words before she slaps him across the face. Mitsuhiro doesn't budge; he had been expecting it, after all.

"I know you're upset . . . I deserve to be hit . . ."

"Mitsuhiro, I slapped you because you're blaming yourself for my death!" Uzuki cries. "Why would you do that? You had nothing to do with it!"

Mitsuhiro frowns at her. "How should you know?" he yells angrily, his voice rising. "You don't even know how you died!"

Uzuki stops. Then the tears begin to fall from her shaky, brown eyes. She falls into Mitsuhiro's arms, her hands digging into the front of his shirt. Mitsuhiro wraps his own arms around her, kissing her forehead over and over again as tears start to fall out of his eyes as well.

"Mitsuhiro . . . please don't tell me that you were responsible . . ." Uzuki sobs, her tears soaking into his shirt.

"I'm sorry, Uzuki, but it's true . . ." Mitsuhiro breathes, his voice just as unstable as the rest of his body. "It all happened so fast . . . You were crossing the street, and that car was headed straight for you . . . I tried to push you out of the way, but I was too late, and it . . . we were both killed in the process . . ."

Uzuki snaps her head up to look at him, her pupils shrinking in pure fear.

"You . . . you and I were killed by the same thing?" she asks in shock. "We're twin Reapers?"

Mitsuhiro nods, and kisses her forehead again. "I've been meaning to tell you for so long, Uzuki, but I . . . I was a coward."

Uzuki wants to step away from him, and leave him behind in the graveyard so she can think, but she feels that if she lets go of him he'll be gone forever, so instead, she falls back into his chest again, tightening her grip around him. Mitsuhiro begins to rub her head softly, and she stares off in the distance, not even wanting to look at him.

"The two of us were killed in a car accident," Mitsuhiro repeats. "I didn't want you to die . . . I didn't want anything to happen to you. I tried to save you, Uzuki, I really did, but . . . I wasn't fast enough. You were suffering from major depression at the time, so I kept an extra eye on you, so that you wouldn't do anything stupid . . . even when you gave us all those goodbye letters, saying that you were certain you were going to die, I refused to let it happen, but I . . . couldn't prevent your death in the end."

Uzuki doesn't reply for a few moments. Instead, she rests into his chest and starts to think back to the date that Mitsuhiro's referring to. The Angel. Her time of death. The depression. The notes that she had given her friends, each one of them saying goodbye. And finally . . .

She can't put the rest of it together. Even crossing the street has been wiped from her memory.

"I remember the notes, Mitsuhiro . . ." Uzuki whispers. "But I . . . I can't remember anything after that!" Tears begin to spill from her eyes again, and even after she bites on to her lip to the point of bleeding she can't stop them. "I wish I could remember!" she cries as she buries her face into his shirt. "I really do! Why can't I remember, Mitsuhiro?"

Mitsuhiro hugs her tightly. "I don't know. I don't know why you lost your memory, Uzuki . . . I wish I could go back and change everything . . ."

He begins to hug her even tighter. "I swear, if I could change it all, I would. I would find a way to save not just you, but Yashiro and Shuto, too."

Uzuki soon pushes Mitsuhiro away from their hug, and she shakes her head.

"Everything happens for a reason, Mitsuhiro . . ." she sighs. "But I . . ." She shakes her head again, and turns around. She feels a drip of water on her shoulder. When she looks up, rain begins to fall from the cloudy sky. She tosses the umbrella to Mitsuhiro.

"Take it," she growls. "You need it more than I do."

Before Mitsuhiro can say a word, Uzuki walks away, through the heavy rain, and out the graveyard gates, the tears running down her face the entire way. Mitsuhiro doesn't object to her leaving either; he knows that following her won't do her or him any good anyway.

Mitsuhiro sits down next to Uzuki's grave, and opens the umbrella, holding it above his head and the tombstone, protecting the rose sitting by his waist.

Uzuki starts to run, her feet clacking against the brick ground of the Market, and her hair drenched with rain water. Her C.T. crystal suddenly starts to ring. When she turns it on, Yashiro appears on the screen.

"Uzuki! . . . Hey, are you crying?" she asks.

Uzuki shakes her head in denial. "No, it's just the rain."

"Uh-huh . . . well, you'd better get your ass down to the training grounds behind the Academy. Guess who got in a fight? Go on, guess!" she exclaims with a smile.

Uzuki looks away from the crystal, up to the sky, and then back again.

"I'm not in the mood for guessing games right now, Yashiro," Uzuki growls. "Who is it?"

"Alright, Ms. Pissy. It's Makoto and Link!"

Uzuki lets out a few swears under her breath. "You've got to be kidding me. Why would Makoto pick a fight with Link like that? You'd think he'd come after Mitsuhiro . . . or me, considering what happened the other night."

"I dunno, but it's freaking awesome," Yashiro laughs, completely oblivious to the danger of a Time Keeper and Assassin fighting against one another. "But you have to get your butt down here, Uzuki. You don't want to miss out on an awesome fight."

Uzuki nods. Turning off her crystal and stuffing it back into her sweater pocket, Uzuki begins to run through the cold, heavy stream of rain, making her way straight to the Academy and not bothering to look back.

When she makes it to the Academy, she finds Yashiro near the fence that surrounds the training grounds, keeping it blocked off from the rest of the market.

"Yashiro! Are Makoto and Link still fighting?" she asks immediately as she peers through the fence, trying to see past the students that have formed a ring around the fight.

Yashiro looks over to Uzuki with a smile. "Yep. And it sounds like a good one too."

"Yashiro, this isn't something to be happy or excited about!" Uzuki growls.

"Sure it is! Who are you going to bet on?"

Shuto raises his head from the other side of Yashiro. "It's not something to be betting on either, Yashiro. You have to remember that Link is a Time Keeper and Makoto is an Assassin. Those two won't hesitate to actually kill each other."

Uzuki lets out an impatient groan as she anxiously tries to see past the students blocking her view.

"It's not going to do you any good," a voice from behind them sighs. When the three look back, they see a girl and a boy, both of them looking around their age, both of them drenched from the rain.

The girl who had spoken shakes her head and sighs. "Once Makoto starts to fight, it's hard to get him to stop," the girl says with a shrug of her shoulders. "And the students around here love a good fight."

"You know him?" Uzuki asks.

"Sure I do. I'm his boss," she snickers. She reaches her hand out to Uzuki to shake. "My name's Mimitra Takumi. Mimi for short. I'm the leader of the Assassins."

"You sure seem casual around us considering you're our enemies," Yashiro scoffs.

"That's only Makoto," Mimi sighs, rolling her eyes, "and Zero. They have some issues to sort out with a few of your members. Link is one of them, but I have no idea why Makoto's fighting him. Zero should be the one kicking the crap out of him right now."

The boy next to her starts to make signs with his hands, and the two laugh.

"Good one," Mimi laughs. Uzuki, Shuto, and Yashiro all give an odd look towards the boy. Mimi stops and then smiles. "Sorry, I forgot to introduce Rei here. This is Rei Ryuga. He's, um . . . mute, so he has to use sign language to speak. He made a joke about Zero. He said, 'When it comes to Zero, boy troubles are all it is with Link.'" Then she laughs again.

"Does Zero know Link?" Uzuki asks innocently, even though she knows who Zero really is.

"Hmm . . . she knows him, but he doesn't really know her," Mimi says with a deceiving smile. "Of course, the two have apparently met before, but they haven't been able to stay in a room together long enough before they start to insult one another. Zero can be pretty vicious."

"Same goes for the rest of you," Yashiro mumbles.

"I wouldn't say that," Mimi snickers. "Some of us are rather peace-loving. Higashizawa, for example. He doesn't want to fight; he just wants to make sure everyone's happy."

Yashiro lets out a chuckle. "That sounds like Higashi-kun, alright."

Rei starts to make more signs with his hands.

"He says that Higashizawa is one of the softer ones of the Assassins," Mimi translates. "And . . . oh, 'He has a soft side for children and dogs'."

Yashiro laughs again, and smiles at Rei. "Yep, that's definitely Higashi-kun. He's my brother, you know."

"Oh, you're Yashiro Takahashi?" Mimi says in surprise. "Hmm, I don't see much of a resemblance, but I guess it's because you're a Reaper, huh? You sound a lot like him though. Although, the poor bastard refuses to believe that you're actually alive; I think it would just put him in shock if he knew anyways."

"Yep, he's my brother. My big, hippy brother."

Rei makes more signs.

"'Very tall too,'" Mimi explains for them.

Yashiro walks towards Rei. "You're pretty cool, you know? It's too bad you can't talk though."

Shuto makes a sound of disgust. "It's just bad luck, Yashiro. Don't feel too sorry for him; it'll offend him."

Rei lifts his black sunglasses to give Shuto a dirty look. Then he makes another round of hand signs before holding his own callused hand out to Yashiro.

"He's wondering if you would like to hang out with him until the fight is over," Mimi says. "He says you remind him of Higashizawa – those two happen to get along really well – and that he would like to be your friend if only for a few minutes, until Makoto gets out of that arena." Rei makes a few more hand signs, and Mimi nods. "Oh yes, and he said he'll write if he wants to talk to you."

Yashiro's face lights up, and she takes Rei's hand. "I would love that. Come on; let's go find a better spot to watch the fight!" Then the two run off, heading to the other side of the fence.

Uzuki turns towards the fence to check on the status of the fight. "They're still fighting, aren't they?"

Shuto, still with a disgusted look on his face, adjusts his glasses before looking back to the fence as well. "It seems like it. I'm actually a little excited; this is the first fight we've come across in the last little while. This will also be Link's first fight against someone who isn't from the Time Keepers . . . at least since he fought that kid back in Kalasia."

Uzuki nods at Shuto's observation. Link and the Reapers never get much fighting time in with anybody but themselves, so when a real fight comes along it's a little exhilarating for them.

"As long as he comes out from it in one piece, not one hundred," Uzuki sighs as she presses herself against the fence. _It's funny . . . just the other night, Higashizawa, Taishou, Mikoshi and Makoto were fighting with us to the death, Uzuki thinks to herself. Now here I am, having a casual meeting with Higashizawa and the leader of the Assassins._

Then she starts to hear the sound of gunshots.

"Ooh, looks like Makoto's brought out the heavy artillery," Mimi laughs as she walks up next to Uzuki, pressing her own body against the metal, diamond-woven fence.

Uzuki suddenly goes pale, and her heart sinks. "M-Makoto's using his guns?" she asks frantically.

Mimi nods. "It's nothing to be worried about-"

"That does it!" Uzuki yells, and in a few swift movements, she's on top of the fence, and on the other side. She charges straight for the ring of students that are gathered in the center of the arena, the rain piercing into her skin like needles. When she makes it to the outside of the ring, she starts to push through the crowd, until she's in the inner ring of the crowd, among the students that can see what's clearly happening.

Then, after pushing away another student, she charges straight towards the fighting boys.

**Chapter 19 (continued)**

I was certain that those guns would kill me the first time he held them to my chest. But apparently Makoto doesn't use bullets. I don't know what he's using, but it's not bullets; every time he shoots me with them, it feels like I'm getting a huge, compressed blast of energy forced into me. It knocks a lot out of me, sure, but it doesn't kill me. And each time he shoots me, it reminds me of the attacks that Uzuki uses when she's using Soul-style, mostly when she uses her own aura to blow people backwards. She forces her aura energy into her hands and when her hands make contact with the person she's fighting, the energy is transferred to the person like a circuit, and blows them backwards. Makoto's basically doing the same thing, except he's managed to compress his inner energy into compressed bullets that hide inside his gun. If he's using energy powered by his aura, that means that Makoto is probably an aura reader; if he's not, he at least knows the basics to using aura powers, and knows how to control his Soul and aura well.

I stagger to my feet again, after being blown to my back for the fifth time, and I start to charge at him with several kunai blades in both my hands. I know that he means business; so I'm not going to hold back either. I didn't want to go too far in the beginning, but now that I know he's trying to shoot me to bits, I know that he plans to kill me with all his heart, right here in the middle of this ring of watching students.

Before Makoto can bring his guns back up again to shoot, I throw two kunai at him, knocking the weapons out of his hands. The guns fly back, past the first row of students.

Makoto looks back where the guns landed, and when he looks back at me, he has a wide, lunatic smile on his face.

"Oooh, you shouldn't have done that," he laughs to himself. He holds his hands up for battle, much like the way Uzuki does when she's preparing to fight Venom-style. Then I see the pupils in his eyes change, the same way Uzuki's do when she's reading auras. He's definitely an aura-reader; I can see it in his eyes and his fighting stance. Only aura-readers or people who are knowledgeable with the human anatomy ever use Venom-style; it's a fighting style that targets the nervous system. I've learned some of it as well, but it's probably one of the most difficult and precise fighting style I've ever had to learn. You really have to know the human body to figure everything out and win with Venom-style. You need to know what nerves control what and what muscles are weaker than others. You also need to be very intuitive; you have to find out what kind of body your enemy has even if you've never met him before in less than a few seconds, otherwise you're screwed.

Makoto runs at me, his palms flattened, and I can tell he's going to target my stomach-area when he brings his right hand up and slides on his feet towards me, his head ducked down and his hand straight like a drill. Before he can hit my stomach, I grab his wrist to stop him, and then I punch him across the face. Still holding onto his wrist, I continue to punch at him. I save my strongest punch for last, and when I strike, I release his wrist at the last second, sending him flying across the arena. I can thank Yashiro for my strength and punching skills.

As he flies backwards, Makoto does a backwards somersault and slides to his feet, with that insane smile still on his face. I guess that's why they call him "Maniac Makoto".

Makoto dashes towards me again, and even after doing the same thing – attempting to strike at my stomach – it doesn't work so well when I grab his wrist, because a hidden knife suddenly materializes from underneath his jacket sleeve, and he uses it to knock my hand away. With the new weapon now attached to his wrist, a much more determined Makoto jumps at me, and when I grab his other wrist, _another_ knife shows up from underneath his jacket sleeve. Then I manage to catch a glimpse of the black gloves he's wearing, and the knives that are jutting out from the bottom of his wrists, attached to the gloves.

Makoto jumps back, and kicks his heel against the ground. When he does, another hidden knife shows up underneath his shoe, right at the toe, and he skips towards me on one foot with the knife aimed straight at me. I retaliate by grinding my foot down on the foot that has the knife, sticking him to the ground with my own weight, but he brings his _other_ leg up, which has – oh, would you look at that – _another_ hidden knife on the bottom of his _left _shoe. He brings up his leg, and the knife connects, piercing into the skin of my right leg. When he pulls the knife out, I feel something inside my leg tear, and I immediately fall to a limp.

Makoto laughs happily as he jumps back, kicking his left heel against the ground and re-hiding the knife so that he can walk at least half-properly. When he jumps at me again, I swing myself around him, grabbing him by the arm while I'm at it and putting him into a hold by coming up behind him and holding his head down with both my hands, my arms wrapped underneath his shoulders.

"Now stay still," I hiss in his ear from behind him, but before I can even _think _of doing the violent things that I so want to do with him, two huge knives – no, I should say _cutlasses_, because they're so damn huge – explode from his elbows, ripping through the fabric of his jacket. Before I can jump away, another one shows up, much bigger than the ones on his arms, from his backside, piercing me through the stomach.

He pulls himself away from me, and then he pulls off his ripped black jacket, revealing the contraption he's wearing underneath to me as I fall to the ground clutching the deep gash on my stomach.

"Take a good look, Nohansen Hyrule," Makoto sneers, holding his arms out to fully show off his uniform. His entire body is cloaked in a black, tight-fitting jumpsuit, and I notice that the pants, which I thought were just skinny to be fashionable, are actually a part of the jumpsuit itself. The knives that had jumped from his body so quickly are, as far as I can tell, rigged from his elbows, the back of his hands, his backside, his the bottoms of his black, knee-high boots, and – this isn't one he pulled on me but it looks like there should be one there – the back of his legs.

"This is how a _real _fighter prepares himself for battle," he mocks as he lets his arms fall back to his sides again. The knife in his back goes back inside his uniform again – I'm really starting to wonder how he can hide such huge knives in such a tight-fitting uniform – and he waits for me to get up from the ground.

I try my hardest to get up from the dirt, clutching the wound on my stomach. It's not extremely deep, but I can tell it's not going to stop bleeding until I get some first aid.

Makoto withdraws all of his knives, and pulls out one from a holster on his belt, its metal gleaming . . . and jagged with dried blood.

"This is one of my precious babies," Makoto laughs as he holds the knife up for me to see. "I always use her for emergencies . . . and I never clean her. Her blade is stained with the blood of all the people I've killed." He lets out a high-pitched, maniac laugh. "Just like a muramasa!" he screeches, his eyes wild with excitement and desire for kill.

Then, as I get to my feet, he charges at me again, with the bloody knife clutched firmly in his hand. I close my eyes, and wait for the final blow.

I open my eyes.

There is no final blow.

When I look up, I see Uzuki standing there, holding Makoto off, the bloodied knife sitting on the ground and Makoto tied up in a choke hold.

"Link, get out of here!" Uzuki grunts as she struggles to hold Makoto away from me.

"Not you again!" Makoto growls angrily. "I thought I took care of you the other night!"

"Go!" Uzuki yells again, and this time, I listen. When I look back, I see Uzuki and Makoto standing parallel to each other, both of them holding knives and ready to kill each other. But by the time I realize I want to help her, Yashiro's pulling on my arms and telling me to leave them alone; they'll sort it out on their own, in their own way.

"I can't just leave her there!" I yell at her, trying to fight back Yashiro, but she's surprisingly strong for her human form. "That guy is crazy!"

"So is she!" Yashiro shouts with anger in her eyes as she pulls me to the other side of the fence. "She's not the one we have to worry about! Right now we have to get Shuto to take a look at you. You're badly injured!"

I try to fight back, but Yashiro's grip is way too strong, and she manages to get me into Shuto's care. There's another man with Shuto; a much, _much_ taller one. When I finally manage to process the image of his face through my brain, I realize that he's the tall, hippy-looking one from the Assassins that I encountered when I first infiltrated their house. Isn't it Yashiro's brother? I don't know. All I remember is that he's a real hippy kind of character.

"Sit down, Link," Shuto orders, and plants me down on a bench near the fence. "Higashizawa! Get me the bottle of water out of my bag!" he says to the hippy. He nods and begins to root through Shuto's bag, pulling up a bottle of water from inside.

Shuto pulls out a vial of strange liquid that I know isn't water from his pocket and drops a couple of ounces of the stuff into the bottle of water.

"Alright, Link, this is going to sting a little . . ." Shuto says before pouring the drugged water over my wound. The gash on my stomach suddenly catches on fire, and I can feel my insides churning and burning from the inside out. I let out a cry of pain, but the pain soon subsides, and I'm left with a soothing, cool feeling.

"Well, that worked," Higashizawa laughs in an intelligent way as he strokes the goatee on his face.

Shuto unbuttons my shirt and throws it aside, and then starts to wrap the bandages from his bag around me like tape, covering up the entire cut that Makoto's knife left behind. He also tends to my leg, pouring the drugged water over that cut too and then, after the burning stops, applies a round of bandages to it.

I sigh in relief and lean back onto the bench, the worst of the pain over. But I can't get over what may be happening in the training grounds right now, both Uzuki and Makoto holding knives to each other's throats.

"Shuto . . ." I breathe, my energy sucked out of me from the gruesome fight. "We have to go get Uzuki . . ."

Both Higashizawa and Shuto shake their heads.

"Not a good idea," Shuto says. "You've got enough to deal with right now. Besides, Uzuki's knows Makoto's fighting habits; she'll be able to handle him."

"And besides," Higashizawa adds, "you don't want to see how their battles unfold. It's a pretty ghastly sight. If you thought Makoto was the craziest person you've seen, then you obviously don't know Uzuki very well."

I lift myself up off the bench. "I don't care. I don't want to just sit here and think about what they could be doing to each other out there in the arena. I'm going to go check."

Higashizawa lets out a light groan. "Eh, suit yourself, then."

I stumble wearily past the fence, towards the spot where Makoto and Uzuki are circling each other with their knives. When I get closer, I notice that the students have lessened and that there are actually a few guards there now, trying to pull the two away from each other. And as I get even closer, I begin to hear the things that Makoto and Uzuki are yelling at each other.

"I knew you were alive, Uzuki-chan," Makoto growls. "So, did your sweetie tell you the truth? Did he tell you how you _really _died?"

"Yes, he did, actually," Uzuki replies in a casual tone. "He told me what happened. And I forgive him."

Makoto takes a violent slash at Uzuki, but she jumps back and dodges it, and then they begin to circle each other again.

"You _forgive _him? For _murdering _you?" Makoto asks furiously, spinning his knife recklessly around in his hand like a club.

"He didn't murder me, he tried to save me!" Uzuki yells as she takes her own swing at him. He dodges. They begin to circle each other again.

"You never actually saw what happened, did you? I did! I saw you crossing the street, and then I saw Mitsuhiro push you in front of that car!"

"He didn't push me in front of it! He tried to push me away from it!"

This information is all new to me. I never knew how Uzuki died, and I was pretty sure she didn't know either. But apparently she's recently been told by Mitsuhiro. Now, if my hunches are correct, the story seems to stand that Mitsuhiro either, a.) Tried to push Uzuki out of the way and died with her as a result, or b.) Tried to actually purposely kill her by pushing her in front of the car, and accidentally miscalculated and died as well. Whatever it is, it completely takes me by surprise. This means that Uzuki and Mitsuhiro are Twin Reapers. It doesn't make much difference if you're a Twin Reaper or not, but it's rare to see two people die at the same time, both with revenge in their hearts. Mitsuhiro always says that he had revenge against the whole world when he died; but now that I know how Uzuki died, I wonder what she could have had revenge against?

"Makoto, you just don't understand, do you?" Uzuki yells angrily.

"Excuse me? I think you're the one who doesn't understand!" Makoto argues as he grinds his fang-like teeth together. "Don't you think I know what I saw? If I wasn't sure, I wouldn't have joined the Assassins and trained my ass off and chased Mitsuhiro down for years to _avenge _you!"

"Aw, you were really trying to avenge me?" Uzuki spits. "This coming from the person who no doubt hates my guts?"

Makoto pulls out a second knife with his other hand. "Yeah, I hated your guts! That's no crime! Who wouldn't? You're a cold-blooded bitch, you know that, Uzuki?"

Uzuki cracks a crooked, insane smile. "Yes, tell me something I don't know, Makoto-kun."

I can't help but cringe when Makoto calls herself that. Uzuki's been like a mother to me for years, so when someone calls her a cold-blooded bitch, it makes me cringe, and I feel like taking the defensive and jumping in to rip his head off his shoulders. But I decide to heed by Higashizawa's and Shuto's warning; this is a fight better fought by the insane.

"But I still felt it was right to avenge you!" Makoto continues. "I never liked that Mitsuhiro creep from the start. So when I saw him kill you . . . I knew that he had to pay!

"Well, that's too bad for you then, wasting your time to save me, because he _didn't_ murder me, Makoto, he saved my life! Sure, I'm a Reaper now, but I'm with him and my friends! I couldn't be happier!"

Makoto lunges at Uzuki with his knife, and she jumps back again. This time, she drops her knives, and falls down into a four-legged position on the ground, like a cat ready to pounce. I know that stance. But why is she using it now? It's the stance she uses in her Berserker form, but she can't use that when she's a human . . . at least, I'm pretty sure she can't. But when I look at her, I question the loss of all Reaper powers when I see the color of her eyes go from brown to red, her pupils dilating into aura-reading circles. Her fingernails start to grow out, ending at sharp points like claws, and strange markings start to crawl down her arms like growing vines, all the way to her fingers.

"Alright, now we're talking!" Makoto cheers insanely as he kicks a knife out from underneath his shoe. "Bring it, Time Keeper!"

Uzuki moves back slightly, and then leaps at him, jumping to her feet and running to him so quickly that she's on the ground one second and less than a foot away from him in the next. She brings up her hand, her palm flattened and her finger tips straightened, and drives her claw-like fingers into his side. Her fingernails pierce into his skin, and when she pulls them back, his blood drips from the tips of her nails. I can see the small yet sharp fangs growing from the corners of her mouths. Uzuki licks her lips like a savage beast before springing towards him again, striking his stomach in the same manner that she did his side, and then, in a flurry of claws, she strikes all the parts of the body that even I know will leave horrible effects later. The stomach – will probably cause eating problems and make him throw up throughout the day – the forehead – will cause a quick decrease in temperature – the chest – targets the heart and will drastically affect its beating pattern – and the neck – which, if she hit him perfectly, would knock him out in one hit – are all struck continuously by Uzuki's sharp-nailed hands.

On the final strike, Uzuki zips past him, and blood explodes from Makoto's chest, her claws bloody from the gash that she's left him in just one quick movement. And from all the other strikes she did on him, small welts begin to form on his skin, and you can see the small rips that have been left behind from her claws. Then, blood bursts from his mouth like vomit as he falls backwards onto the ground. He's not dead. But he's definitely not going to feel good for a long time.

This is a savage side of Uzuki I've never seen before. I've only seen Uzuki in her Berserker form a few select times, and when I did, she always managed to control it and use it properly. But here, in the backyard of the Academy, Uzuki has shown her true colors.

She's a crazy, mentally-disturbed, cold-blooded bitch.

"You can rot in hell for all I care," Uzuki hisses as she kicks Makoto in his side, a pool of blood gathering underneath him. But then his eyes snap open, like a wild dog that's just been woken up, and he starts to stir from the ground, blood still pouring from his mouth. But before he can make a move at Uzuki, the guards that were watching intently from the sidelines move in, and grab Makoto, holding their spears to his neck so that he can't move. They do the same to Uzuki.

"Uzuki!" I yell as I run towards her, but the guards stop me with their spears, holding them straight towards me, their blades aimed at my neck.

"Please, let her go," I beg as I slowly begin to inch away from the blades that are just barely touching the skin of my throat.

"This woman, as innocent as she may seem, is a menace to this town," the guard sneers. "Just like Makoto here. We've been trying to catch this lunatic for years now . . . it's a good thing this young lady came to stop him. Although, she's still a menace, so we'll have to throw her into custody as well, until she can get her brain fixed up."

"No, you can't do that!" I yell. Uzuki in a mental hospital? Now that I've seen this side of her, I can imagine she'd just cut their throats open with her teeth and hightail it out of there.

"We can, and we will," the man growls as he drags Uzuki off, iron handcuffs wrapped around both her wrists to keep her from scratching their faces apart. She's starting to change back to normal; her sharpened nails are shrinking and dulling, the markings on her arms are disappearing, her fangs are withdrawing, and her eyes are going back to their original color. After all of her Berserker blood has died down, I notice how exhausted she looks. Whatever happened on that battlefield, it took a lot out of her. I've never actually seen her so exhausted before, and I've been living with her for years.

Before the guards take her away, I see her give me a look of sympathy, and a smile. Then she lowers her head and stares at the ground before they take her away.

Shuto and Higashizawa begin to call me over, so I walk outside of the field again to meet up with them and Yashiro, along with two members of the Assassins; a girl named Mimi, and good ole' Rei Ryuga.

"Hey, it's you again," I say happily.

"Oh, you two met?" Mimi asks.

"Yeah, he and I had a coffee together a little while ago."

Higashizawa laughs. "Well, don't tell Makoto that happened. You don't need us to tell you how much he hates your group after witnessing what just happened here today."

I shake my head. "It'll never leave my mouth as long as it doesn't leave yours."

Rei drags his fingers across his lips, and smiles.

"Rei here says he enjoyed your battle with Makoto," Yashiro says. "He told me that earlier when Uzuki started to battle it out with Makoto. He said you have really good skills."

I look at Rei, and from underneath his sunglasses, I see a look of respect in his eyes.

"Thanks," I say to him with my own smile. "Even if I lost, it was the first time I've fought someone for real in a while." I look back to the guards, who are walking down the street with Uzuki and Makoto tied up behind them. "I just hope we'll be able to get Uzuki back."

"Don't worry about that," Mimi says reassuringly. "Makoto's gotten thrown into jail a million times before. We always get Zero to break him out. I'm sure she'd be able to break Uzuki out for you too."

"Oh. Well," I snicker. "Thank you to Zero then."

"Oh yeah, Zero has that, um, _thing_, right?" Higashizawa says to Mimi, and winks. Mimi laughs, and soon Rei joins in with a secretive smile.

"I'm sorry?" I ask, a little confused.

Higashizawa grins, his eyebrows rising. "Oh, nothing. We would rather if you found out yourself, Prince Charming."

I roll my eyes at him. "Whatever it is that you three are talking about, I'd rather not hear it now. I've got too many things to worry about. Will Zero be able to break out Uzuki anytime soon?"

Mimi walks towards me – a lot closer than I'd like her to – and grabs the C.T. crystal that's wrapped around my neck.

"Zero's got one of these crystal things too," Mimi says with a smile. "I'll just call her with yours and tell her to meet you at the prison."

I nod. "Uh, thanks."

Mimi takes the crystal from around my neck and clicks on one of the names that I have on my speed call. That's strange . . . I don't remember having Zero on my speed call.

Mimi walks away from me with the crystal, away from the rest of us before the screen can show up.

"She prefers talking to Zero alone," Higashizawa snickers. "Don't worry about it."

Rei makes a few hand signals.

"What did he say, Higashi?" Yashiro asks.

"He says that Zero should just go ahead and break out just Uzuki. Makoto can wait," Higashizawa says before letting out a laugh. Rei smiles to show his own laughter.

"I wouldn't mind that either," I mutter. "We only need one crazy person out of jail at a time."

Yashiro grins. "Oh, so you finally agree with me that Uzuki is plain nuts?"

I look up at the sky first, forcing Yashiro to wait for my answer, and then I scratch my head and sigh in defeat. "I guess so, Yashiro-chan. You were right; that chick is completely crazy."

Yashiro does a loud victory chant. "Yes! I was right for once! Take that, world!" She pumps her hand into the air and starts to cheer.

"Hey, Yashiro, I just realized something!" Higashizawa gasps as he stares straight at her.

"What? What is it, Higashi-kun?" she asks.

" . . . You're alive!"

Then he jumps towards her and pulls her into the biggest hug on the planet, lifting her right off the ground.

"I know, big brother!" Yashiro cheers happily with the biggest smile on her face.

"I'm so glad you're not dead!"

"Well, I technically am dead . . ."

"I don't care, you're alive, and that's what matters!"

**An Interlude**

Zelda stares furiously at Mimi through the C.T. crystal screen.

"Ugh, you want me to break Makoto out of jail _again_?" she sneers in pure anger.

"Yep. The poor guy got himself thrown into jail again, for starting a public fight," Mimi sighs as she drags one of her gloved fingers through her blond, black streaked hair.

"Remind me again: why do _I _always have to break that poor sap out?" Zelda asks.

"Because, you just have that . . . princess charm."

"I _am _the Princess, Mimi. That's why it's so easy to break our own thugs out of jail."

"There you go, a perfect reason. Please?"

Zelda rolls her eyes. "Fine!"

"Oh, and there's someone else you need to break out too!" Mimi adds before Zelda can hang up.

"Whaaaat?" Zelda groans impulsively.

"Break out Uzuki Kasahara too, alright?"

"Uzuki? The Time Keeper? She got thrown into jail?"

"Yeah, the public fight was between Makoto and Link . . . and then it was between Makoto and Uzuki, and they were the ones to get thrown in the slammer."

Zelda groans in frustration. "And I _missed it_?" she exclaims sadly. "Mimi, you really need to tell me these things while they're happening! You know I love seeing Makoto's fights!"

"Oh, it was a really good one," Mimi brags. "Maniac Makoto versus the Cold-Blooded Bitch Uzuki. Fight of the century, girl; fight of the _century_."

"Ugh . . . don't let me miss the next one, okay?"

"No prob. And don't forget to break out the two lunatics! As soon as you can get around to it, okay?"

Zelda smiles. "Uh-huh. Talk to you later, Mimi."

Mimi smiles back before hanging up. Then she begins to walk back to the group, the C.T. crystal clutched in her hand.

"Nobody knows the trouble I've seen . . ." Uzuki sings mournfully. "Nobody knows my sorrow . . ."

Makoto spits from the cell next to her. "Uzuki! If you've gotta sing, for Goddess' sakes, sing something that'll raise my spirits a little!"

Uzuki secretly rolls her eyes at him. "I think not. Besides, I have all the right to be depressed; you got me thrown in here, after all."

"Oh, so it's _my _fault now?"

"Yes, it is. If you hadn't gone all crazy on Link in the first place, we wouldn't be in this mess."

"Well, maybe if Mitsuhiro hadn't started it by killing you I wouldn't have wanted revenge and attacked your precious leader!"

Uzuki gives him a look of dissatisfaction, even though he can't see it. "Are you really going to go there, squirt?"

"Don't you go calling me a squirt; I'm four years older than you, after all."

"Do you think that makes a difference to a person who's dead?"

Makoto lets out a laugh. "I think you're better off that way anyways!"

Uzuki grumbles something under her breath and then doesn't say another word. She crosses her arms angrily and stares straight at the other end of her cell. Makoto does the same. We're completely silent, for who knows how long, until Makoto lifts his head and lets out a cheer.

"Alright, Zero's here!" he laughs, clapping his hands together. "Zero, get me out of here!" he yells at the girl who's entered the jail. When I get up to see the girl who Makoto seems very happy to see, I get a very disturbing sight.

It's Zelda. Princess Zelda. She's here, in the jail, and Makoto is cheering at her, and calling her 'Zero'.

_I can't believe it. Zelda really is Zero. Zero is Zelda, _Uzuki thinks to herself, feeling a mental breakdown coming on. _Ah shit, this is one of those things, isn't it? When I know, and somebody else from our group knows, but nobody else does; Link's the odd one out, as usual._

_Well, if Link doesn't know, he's going to be in for a hell of a surprise, _the voice in her head laughs maniacally.

"I heard you two need to be broken out," Zelda sighs with an irritated shrug of her shoulders. She shoots a cold look at Makoto. "Good job getting yourself thrown into jail again, asshole."

Uzuki is taken aback by Zelda's sudden turn into a sassy beast. Even though she called the Princess a sassy bitch back at the high school in her head numerous times, the only reason she was being sassy and bitchy was because she didn't know who Uzuki was. Now she knows Uzuki's in her human form, and in jail to boot, and she's showed her a side to her she had never seen before.

"Sing me a story I haven't heard before," Makoto sighs as he grips onto the bars of the cell. "Now get me out of here! Or I'll kill you myself!"

Zelda holds up her finger as she walks to the guard on duty. "Keep your midget-sized pants on," she growls. She and the guard talk for a few minutes, Zelda with a dead serious look on her face and the guard with a look of hysterics and anger. After a few minutes of the two arguing with each other, the guard eventually opens their cell doors, freeing the two from their prisons.

"There, happy now?" Zelda sneers at Makoto. "You'd better start learning how to keep your ass out of trouble."

After she's said that, they hear a familiar voice from behind us. Uzuki can clearly see who it is before Zelda does. It's Link. And he doesn't look like a very happy fairy right now.

Zelda turns around, and smiles. "Hey, Link. Took you long enough to get your ass here. I had to go and break your dang Time Keeper out of prison. I always knew Uzuki would be the first one thrown into some kind of prison, may it be a mental hospital or a jail. It's your fault I guess, for not keeping an eye on her. She's sneaky."

Uzuki rolls her eyes at Zelda's comment, and then smirks in agreement.

"Zelda, what are you doing . . .?" Link asks, his lip shaking in fear. "You're not . . . are you . . .?"

"You seem to be at a loss for words," Makoto snickers. "That's right, Link. The newest member of your group, the Princess Zelda, is Zero of the Assassins; one of the most vicious, and respected Assassins of Hyrule."

Zelda licks her lips, a lot like the way Uzuki does when she's having one of her 'meltdowns'. Then she winks at Link.

"It was really easy to fool you," Zelda laughs in a cruel, uncaring manner. "I'm the Princess of Hyrule, your childhood friend, and the person you saved from Ganondorf's evil hands . . . it was too easy. You trust me way too easily. You underestimated me too."

Link doesn't say anything. He just continues to stare at Zelda, with his priceless awestruck look on his face. Zelda walks up to him with the same cruel smile on her face, and caresses his face once before letting out a laugh.

"There are so many things you don't know about me, Link," she sighs. "It's too bad you had to find out about me like this. I've been in the Assassins for years now; since I was fifteen. I'm also one of the higher-ranked ones. I've been working myself up to the top, and now I'm just two ranks below Makoto and Mimi."

Link stares at her, his eyes quivering.

"Like I said, you underestimated me. Because of all the sweet things you knew about me when we were children, you figured I was the same way. I tried to convince you I'd changed when I constantly hit you and treated you like shit. When that didn't work, I just started to figure it would be a matter of time before you realized it."

Zelda walks in closer to him, her body pressing into his, and he suddenly feels a light but sharp pressure on his back. When he looks behind him, he sees the knife that Zelda had snuck out from her glove and was now pressing to his back.

Zelda brings her lips up to Link's ear, and whispers, "If you want to know how to survive in this world, you need to know not to trust anyone."

Then she pulls away, taking her knife with her and putting it back in the holster that's on her belt, and smiles at him again.

"And that's your lesson for today," she says before walking past him and out the doors of the prison, leaving him standing there with the same dumbstruck look on his face.

"Zero, wait up," Makoto calls as he follows her, shooting Link a dirty smirk before leaving the prison as well.

Uzuki walks up to Link, and places her hands on his shoulders.

"Hey, are you alright?" she asks.

Link lets out a choke from the back of his throat.

Uzuki pulls Link into a tight hug, caressing his dirty-blond, rain-soaked hair with her hand.

"Worse things will happen, Link," she sighs. "I think we've all had a crazy day today."

"I doubt it," Link growls.

"Trust me, you will," Uzuki laughs as she looks him in the eye, smiling like nothing's wrong. "I've had a pretty bad day today too. I have to apologize to Mitsuhiro for leaving him behind in the cemetery."

"I haven't seen Mitsuhiro today . . . where is he?"

"Probably still standing by my grave trying to sort things out." Uzuki pushes Link's bangs away from his eyes. "I left him there without finishing our argument."

"You two got in a fight?"

"A little bit. I found out today that Mitsuhiro killed me."

Link looks at her with interest in his eyes. "Oh, he did, didn't he? I figured that. I heard that rant you and Makoto had at each other while you were slashing at each other with those knives. I was hoping that would be the answer . . . so, Makoto's wrong then? Mitsuhiro didn't murder you?"

Uzuki nods. "He tried to save me. Apparently I was about to get hit by a car, and he tried to push me out of the way, but we both ended up dying together. I think I like the ending I got better than what could have happened; he may have died instead of me. I just wouldn't be able to live with an ending like that. I mean, I'm upset that Mitsuhiro risked his life for me – because I hate it when people do things for me – but I'm glad that I got to live my second life as a Reaper with him."

I nod back. "So, what are you going to do about Makoto then? It seems you've failed to convince him that Mitsuhiro saved you. He seems pretty bent on killing Mitsuhiro right now."

Uzuki lets out a stressful sigh, and rubs her head with her hand. "I don't know what I'm going to do about that . . . Makoto's just having a hard time getting over my death, I think. Or he's just having a hard time admitting he was wrong," she laughs. "Makoto and I are just like that; we hate being wrong."

Link laughs too. "That's for sure."


	20. It's Time to Party Time Keeper Style!

**Time Gate: The Adult Chapters**

**Chapter 20: It's Time to Party (Time Keeper Style!)**

Crashing the Royal Family Christmas Dance is all fine and dandy, but I think what really annoys me is that we had to wait all the way until December – being on this mission, I was really hoping we wouldn't be stuck here for long. But I guess it couldn't be helped. I should consider ourselves lucky that Zelda made it easier for us by allowing the guards to give us entrance to the party by putting our names on the invitation list. But now that I'm walking down the street with Uzuki, Yashiro, Mitsuhiro, Shuto, and even Miu (who's fancily laying on Uzuki's shoulders in her smaller form like a petticoat) while I try to fix my stupid tie, I suddenly realize that this party may not be as easy as I thought it would be. But I've already got the suit on and the tie is almost secured, so there's no turning back now.

"Geez, Link, you've been meddling with that tie ever since we left the house!" Mitsuhiro exclaims. He walks in front of me to stop me, and yanks the tie from around my neck and out of my hands.

"Isn't it the _female_ who's supposed to help the guy with his tie?" I ask as he starts to properly tie the tie around my neck. Actually, it's somewhat confused me as to why the female has no trouble tying a tie, and the men always have the problems.

"Yes, but you're driving me crazy!" he growls. "Besides, what females are you referring to? There are no girls that are attracted to you in any way!" Mitsuhiro finishes the last knot on my tie.

"Hey, you don't know that," I mutter in reply, a little embarrassed.

Mitsuhiro smirks at me. "Yes, I do."

_What does female and male attraction have to do with tying one of these stupid ties?_ I think, very much tempted to ask this to Mitsuhiro out loud.

_Apparently a lot of things_,Dex laughs. _You'd be better off if you looked for a chick to pick up here at the party._

_I'm not doing that._

_Well, you can at least not spoil the fun for me, okay?_

I roll my eyes at him. The five of us soon come to the main gates of Hyrule Castle. We show the guards the invitations that Zelda had made for us, and then they allow us through the gates. We walk up the slope that leads to the castle. It's funny, walking up this slope without having to worry about the guards catching me and throwing me out. The only other time I've walked up this hill without that happening was when I met up with Zelda again . . . I told her stories for hours, and the only reason our day together was ruined was because the Reapers decided to pay a little visit. This was also back when Mitsuhiro absolutely hated my guts.

"I can't believe I'm going to the Royal Family Christmas party," Uzuki says dreamily as she twirls in her black dress, the skirt of it ending at different points so that it's higher up on the leg in one spot and doesn't end until it reaches just above her ankle in another.

"I can't believe you got Yashiro to wear a dress," Mitsuhiro snickers. Yashiro punches him in the shoulder.

"Shut up!" she yells. "Blame Uzuki for it!"

Uzuki gives Yashiro an unsatisfied glare. "Yashiro, you can dress in women's clothes for one night, can't you? Besides, it could be worse; I could have stuck you in heels."

"Augh, fuck!" Yashiro grunts.

"Ladies don't swear," Uzuki says.

Mitsuhiro catches up to Uzuki and wraps his hand around her waist. "You swear more than she does sometimes, Uzuki," he reminds her, a smile growing on his face. "Not to mention, you spit. Like a _man_," he giggles.

Uzuki shoos him away, pulling his hands off her body. "Whatever. You can look but you can't touch."

Mitsuhiro teases her by making a face filled with neglect.

"Oh, stop it," Uzuki spits. "You look like an idiot."

Mitsuhiro turns his face away from her, but I can see the smile that's on his face. He's getting a good amount of fun out of this, I can tell.

As we make it closer to the castle, I start to notice how magnificent this party is going to be. Balloons are tied down to the towers, and floating lanterns are drifting freely through the air, their colors bright and stunning to the eye. I can hear music playing from the orchestra inside the castle, and the throne room is bustling with people, all of them with wine glasses in their hands and smiles on their faces from their enjoyable conversations.

We walk through the throne room, and we soon realize that all the people out here don't even amount to the number of people in the ballroom. The men are dancing with their wives, and the children who've attended are playing games with each other, holding balloons in their hands.

I begin to survey the ballroom, trying to see if there's anybody suspicious here. Even though we're getting excited for a good party, we all have to remember that we're here to make sure nobody gets kidnapped; the Society is supposed to attack, after all.

Before I can tell the rest of the group what to look out for, Uzuki's swept off her feet by some random, yet somewhat charming man, with spiky blond hair and a polite smile. I look at Mitsuhiro, whose expression is changing from excited to downright mad.

"Your girlfriend was just taken by some stranger," I chuckle at him.

"I know that," he growls. Then he relaxes his face and lets out a sigh. "I guess I deserve it though. She hasn't been speaking to me much ever since she found out about . . . you know – her death."

"Well, you know Uzuki. She'll probably bounce back later."

Mitsuhiro lets out a small, uncontrolled laugh. "Yeah, sure; but before that happens, she holds the grudge for as long as she can maintain it. She held a grudge against Makoto Takahashi for an entire year and a half one time, back when we were alive."

I feel a chill go through my spine. The more I hear about the things Uzuki did when she was alive and the things she does now when I'm not around just make me believe more and more that she's actually a cold-blooded bitch.

"You should at least try to win her back," I suggest to him. "I don't know a lot about girls, but I at least know enough about Uzuki to know that she's a softie for romantic, cheesy stuff."

Mitsuhiro shudders. "Cheesy shit . . . dammit. I'm not good at that. You should know that I don't do cheesy."

I have to agree with him. During the years I've known him and worked with him, the word 'cheesy' has never come into my mind as a one-word description. The words that _do _come up, however, are ones like 'unapproachable' and 'albino' and 'depressing guy who only attracts depressing women' (I'm aware that that's more than one word too, thank you).

I give Mitsuhiro an encouraging pat on the shoulder. "Ah well, even if it takes a while, at least you know she gets over things eventually." I guess I mean that as a joke, but it's kind of true to.

Mitsuhiro sees only the joking side of it, and shakes my hand away. "Whatever. Do me a favor, alright? Try to pick up a girl while you're here. A _real _one."

I ignore his cruel joke as he walks off to the table where the wine is being served. Everyone else has already taken off; Uzuki is dancing with that blond-haired guy, Miu is being pampered by the little girls that adore her to the core, and Shuto and Yashiro are standing next to each other. From what I can tell, Shuto is probably trying to ask Yashiro to dance. I can already tell how this is going to end.

_Shuto: "Hey, Yashiro, wanna dance?"_

_Yashiro: "I'd rather eat my own vomit."_

_Shuto: -sits in corner very depressingly- _

Yeah, that's pretty much the basic rundown of it.

**An Interlude**

Shuto switches from his right foot to his left and back again, leaning on each one as he squirms around on the spot. He looks at Yashiro, his face already turning red, and smiles.

"Hey, Yashiro, um . . . would you like to dance?" he asks.

Yashiro immediately shoots him a look of the dead, her eyes dark and cold. "I'd rather eat my own vomit."

Shuto sighs, and hangs his head down low. "I figured you'd say something like that . . ."

"Then don't bother asking if you already know what the answer is," she scorns as she looks around the room, trying to spot something to do.

Shuto doesn't move though. He just continues to stand with her as he waits for something suspicious or exciting to happen.

The minutes slowly tick by.

The well-dressed, average-height man walks down the hallway of the castle, combing his slick, black hair back with a wide grin on his face. He hums a little song to himself, feeling very excited for the party and anxious to spend time with his sweetie.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, he feels himself being pulled upwards, his arms lurching above his head.

The person who falls back down from the ceiling is Makoto, wearing the man's suit and combing his own hair back with the man's little wooden comb. He looks up at the unsuspecting man, tied up to the ceiling with rope and silenced with a strip of thick tape over his mouth. Makoto smiles at him and waves as if to say 'thank you'. Then he starts back down the hallway, the tails of his suit jacket trailing behind him as he tries to readjust his tie to suit his neck.

He soon comes across Higashizawa, who's dressed in a similar suit – white instead of black – and his hair is tied back in a low ponytail.

"Ah, you made it," Makoto says with a satisfied grin.

Higashizawa strikes a formal pose. "Well, I had to wait a while for a person as tall as I am to come along, but I eventually found one."

"What about Rei and Mimi?"

"Mimi should already be inside. So should Rei. Taishou and Mikoshi are going to be here soon, I think."

"And . . . Victoria?" Makoto shudders.

"She'd probably come to this party whether she was an Assassin or not," Higashizawa chuckles. "You lucked out on that one, my loyal stepbrother."

Makoto sighs, and shakes his head. "I can't win them all, I guess. The Time Keepers should be here too, right?"

"They've probably showed up as well. Whether or not they've run into one of ours is hard to say, but we'll have to see once we get in the ballroom." Higashizawa smiles deviously. "Victoria isn't the only one you have to worry about though, Makoto; if you run into Uzuki or Mitsuhiro, you're-"

"Yes, I know," Makoto interrupts before Higashizawa can finish. "I'm screwed."

"I was going to say fucked, but that works too," Higashizawa laughs.

Makoto rolls his eyes before the two boys continue down the hall, stuffing their hands into the pockets of their dress pants.

**Chapter 20 (continued)**

I think I'm one of the only people here who doesn't have a dance partner. I can't say I'm really mad about it – we're here for scouting, after all – but it makes me feel a little left out. Even Yashiro has gotten a dance partner. Rei Ryuga decided to show up during the party and asked Yashiro to a dance. He didn't need to speak to ask her either; instead of writing anything down, he simply held his hand out to her, and that was enough for Yashiro to know what he was talking about. It's funny to see, actually; she turned Shuto down earlier but jumped at the chance to dance with Rei. Something tells me that Shuto doesn't like Rei too much for that. But I have to say, I'm a little bit concerned about seeing Rei Ryuga here; if he's here, that means that the rest of the Assassins are here too, and we need to be worrying about the Society right now. Uzuki and Mitsuhiro are dancing together now, but neither one of them looks very comfortable with each other right now. The awkwardness of having Mitsuhiro being Uzuki's killer must make it hard to look each other in the face. I guess I'm not the only one who's alone though. Yashiro has run off with Rei, after all, which has left Shuto alone to grovel. The poor guy. It's obvious that he likes Yashiro, and she refuses to give him a break. But I guess I have a hard time thinking about Yashiro and Shuto being together. They're completely opposite; Yashiro is rough and rowdy, and Shuto is calm and gentle; Yashiro likes beating people up and Shuto likes to make sure everyone is in good spirits; Yashiro drinks root beer, and Shuto drinks tea.

At one point or another, I spot Zelda. She's the perfect one to find at this party right now. There are plenty of things I need to ask her, considering I haven't gotten a word in with her since she told me she was Zero, and I need to ask her if she's seen anything suspicious in the past few months. Of course, if she had been seeing anything suspicious, she should have been able to take care of it because she's 'Zero'.

Gah. Even I can tell now that I'm starting to sound like a bit of a jerk.

I start to slip through the crowd, not wanting to look like I'm approaching Zelda head-on, and eventually, I'm just a few meters away from her. She's just standing there, saying hello to people whenever they pass her by with a smile, and having the odd conversation with anyone who wishes to speak with her without being nervous about the fact that she's the Princess.

I slowly make myself towards her, until I'm right next to her, and thankfully, she's looking in the other direction.

"Hey, Princess," I say, drawing her attention to me. When she sees that it's me, she immediately gets that harsh, mean look on her face.

"Oh, it's you," she mumbles. "What is it?"

"I just wanted to say hi," I reply, trying to keep this conversation as light and cheery as possible; so far, it's not going really well. "Can't I just say hi?"

Zelda stares at me in wonder. ". . . No, you can't," she answers. That just makes my heart sink.

"How are you?" I continue, not wanting to let her know how crumbled I am on the inside.

She crosses her arms and tilts her head to the side. "So, this is how we're going to play it, huh?"

"Um, I-I guess," I stammer, trying to sound as innocent as I can when, no lie, I'm starting a game of 'Kill the Evil Princess' in my head.

She breathes out in defeat, blowing a strand of hair out from in front of her eyes. "Fine then. I'm doing fine. Thank you for asking," she says, her voice tense and unnerving.

"There, now was that so hard?" I ask with a laugh.

She doesn't reply, and looks in the other direction.

"Come on, Zel," I sigh. "You gotta lighten up. This is a party, isn't it?"

No response. I move around her, trying to get in her line of sight again. "And we should just forget about how we absolutely hate each other for now, just so we can have a bit of fun, right?"

She glances at me. Well, it's a start.

"Fine," she finally says, releasing another sigh.

"That's more like it," I say with a smile. Then I take her hand in mine. "Now let's have a bit of fun. Besides, I don't want to end up like Shuto; I need a dance partner."

Zelda looks past me at Shuto, who's still standing by himself, at the food table now, with no girl by his side. Then a look of sympathy crosses her face.

"Poor guy," she sighs.

"He's been through worse," I mumble as I pull Zelda out to where the other couples are dancing. I grab her other hand and start to gently swing her arms to the beat, trying to get her to dance even just a little bit. Eventually, after a lot of coaxing into it, she begins to smile, and she's soon dancing with me. I can tell that, like me, she's trying to forget about all the bad things that are going on right now so that she can just have fun. And before I know it, she's dancing in close with me, her head resting on my shoulder and her arms wrapped around me, one hand gently holding my shoulder. Honestly, this is the first time that I've had a good time with Zelda since that time when I was injured by someone from the Society and she watched over me as I healed at the castle, and we spent the hours of the day solving sudoku puzzles. It's amazing to see, how fast she's grown up. I can say the same for myself as well. It feels like yesterday that I was laying on that bed in the castle, with the puzzle book on my lap and Zelda leaning over me as she helped me figure out where the next number went.

And now we're adults, the two of us dancing in the middle of this ballroom on Christmas Eve, the both of us practically enemies and not wanting to stop the fun we're having tonight.

**An Interlude**

Uzuki leans into Mitsuhiro's shoulder, her body just inches away from his and her arms gently draped around his neck. Mitsuhiro begins to rub her curly, brown hair as they sway silently on the ballroom floor.

"These last few months haven't been easy for me, you know," Mitsuhiro whispers to her. "I know you don't want to talk to me, but do you really have to avoid me?"

Uzuki bites her lip. "I'm not avoiding you, I'm just . . . I want to talk to you, Mitsuhiro, but I still can't believe what you did for me . . ."

"You're not mad because I ended your life?"

"No. I'm mad because you risked your life to save mine."

Mitsuhiro laughs and holds her out from his grasp to show her how surprised he is. "Uzuki, don't you remember what I told you back when we were in high school? There are more people looking out for you than you think."

Uzuki smiles. "Yeah, I remember when you told me that. But I . . . I don't like it when people do things for me. Personally, it makes me feel like shit when someone goes to the trouble of doing something for me. But it's my fault that you died; if you hadn't tried to push me out of the way of that car, you would have lived."

"So?" Mitsuhiro snickers. "I wouldn't have been able to live without you, on my own in the Realm of Light, Uzuki. You're just too important to me. And I didn't want you to die, either; even if it meant risking my own life so that you could live yours."

Uzuki scowls at him, anger growing in her eyes like a strengthening fire. "But Mitsuhiro, you don't get it! I was supposed to die! That was the end for me on this miserable planet; you still had the chance to live, though, and you wasted it on me!"

Mitsuhiro pulls her into a hug, his arms enclosing her in his grasp as hard as they can. "Uzuki, I don't care what some Angel said," he says soothingly. "I would rather live with you in the hellish lands of the Dark Realm than live alone in the Realm of Light. You were one of the only ones who ever took the time to befriend me. Sure, I had people at the school that admired me and thought I was the coolest guy alive, but I knew that in the end, I was alone. That was until you came along. I didn't want to mess it up; I wanted to be friends with you, if not more."

Uzuki's fingers dig into the back of Mitsuhiro's suit jacket. "You're such an idiot . . ."

"You think so? I'll accept that title if I get to live with you in the same world," he says, a huge smile growing on his face. "I don't want to lose you ever again. Don't ever say that you're not worth it, okay, Uzuki? You are. You're one hundred and fifty percent worth it, and don't let anyone else tell you otherwise."

Uzuki hugs him back harder before pulling away and smiling at him, her eyes watering a little from all of her conflicting emotions. Mitsuhiro wipes the little small amount of tears away from her eyes, and then pulls her into their dance position again.

They're interrupted by Makoto.

When they see him, the both of them freeze in their spot, and they immediately prepare for the worst.

"Good evening, you two," he says in a surprisingly polite way. He holds his hand out to Uzuki. "Do you mind if I still your sweetie for a dance?"

Mitsuhiro, his mouth agape, finally nods, even though he knows that it probably won't lead to anything good. Uzuki willingly goes to Makoto, however, and Makoto takes her to dance at the other side of the ballroom, where a considerable amount of people have gathered to dance.

Makoto takes Uzuki's hands in his and the two begin to sway on the dance floor. Makoto smiles at Uzuki.

"You look very pretty tonight," he says to her.

Uzuki glowers at him in pure frustration. "Bullshit, Makoto. Tell me why you're here. It can't be that you wanted to dance with me; I can see that you're ready to puke."

Makoto's polite and gentleman expression changes to a sinister and sickly one. "Thank the Goddess Din; I was about to faint anyways."

Uzuki whacks him on the shoulder. "Shut up. Why are you here?"

"You're an aura-reader, aren't you?" Makoto asks. "I happen to be one too. Haven't you been looking around here?"

Uzuki looks away, feeling a little embarrassed by her lack of observation. "Not really . . ." she growls, starting to feel a bit more ashamed than embarrassed now.

"Open your eyes," Makoto orders her. "Your aura-reading eyes; look around the room and tell me what you see."

Uzuki does as she's told. As the two dance together, she closes her eyes and opens them again, her pupils dilated into round circles. She looks around the room, auras fluctuating and floating around her like the colored, drifting lanterns that were placed outside. All of them belonging to a person in the room, all of them different colors, shapes and sizes. Not a single one amiss.

"It looks fine to me," Uzuki mumbles as she looks back to Makoto, whose eyes have changed to aura-sight as well.

"Try again," Makoto growls in frustration.

Uzuki sighs before looking around again. The same as before. But then she notices something. An aura that has a slight error to it; in the corner, near the person's feet, are tiny little twilight squares forming near the edge, floating towards the top of their aura.

When Uzuki looks back to Makoto, she doesn't need to say anything to him; her expression says all.

"It's a lot like how Zero's – or should I say 'Zelda's' – and Link's auras would look," Makoto begins. "If you were to look at Zelda's aura, you would see parts that would suggest that she has a demon inside of her; in her case, it would be Zero the Twili. She has a Twili merged with her Soul, and she uses the Twili's name as an alias. You would see several parts to Link's aura too. His own aura, along with the Deity's and Dex's; Dex's would be easier to see, taking into account that Link seems to depend on him a lot more."

Uzuki nods at him, and looks back at the aura with the twilight growing from the corner of it. When she closes her eyes and opens them again, getting rid of the aura-sight, she finds the person who had the odd aura. It's an average-height, yet extremely scrawny man with black hair that's braided down to his shoulders.

"A Reaper from the Society," Uzuki says. "But in a Reaper form . . ."

Makoto nods in correction. "Exactly. Although, it's already dark out; I suspect that when they initiate their attack, they'll turn into their Reaper forms. I think it would be safe for you to do that as well, Uzuki."

Then he releases her hands, and starts to walk away.

"Hey, wait!" Uzuki calls as she follows behind him. She follows him all the way out to the large balcony that hangs over darkness just on the backside of the castle. Makoto leans against the railing of the balcony.

"I always knew you didn't die," Makoto says after a long pause. "It's too bad that, even after death, you still have to put up with the shit that goes on in this kingdom."

Uzuki laughs. "Ah well. It's a lot more fun than just sitting around in hell."

Makoto smiles at her. "I guess you're right. But isn't this place its own hell?"

"I wouldn't say that. There are things in this world that I enjoy, so I guess it can't be hell; hell is supposed to be a place of eternal suffering. I don't suffer all the time here."

Makoto reaches into his back pockets with both hands, and pulls out two handguns. He hands them to Uzuki.

"You're going to need these," he says with a smile.

Uzuki stares at the guns in her hands. "You're not going to help us when the Reapers attack?" she asks him with a frown. "You came here in the first place, after all."

"Nah, I came here just to give those to you," Makoto snickers. "Assassins aren't supposed to help Time Keepers. But you have to give me those guns back later, alright? This doesn't symbolize any kind of truce or anything stupid like that."

Uzuki smiles and nods. Makoto stands up on the railing of the balcony, his unbuttoned jacket flapping in the wind.

"I hate to say it, but it was good talking to you again, Uzuki," he says, a smile growing on his face.

"Same here," Uzuki giggles.

He salutes her before letting himself fall off the railing of the balcony, and before Uzuki can look over the railing to check for him, he's already disappeared in the darkness below.

Uzuki gazes over the railing, an intense fervour igniting in her eyes as she changes into her Reaper form. Then she walks back inside, hiding the guns inside her knee-high boots. Even though it's a party and she had been having fun before Makoto arrived, she knew to dress properly when it came to the shoes to wear.

_Go on, ask her to dance again! _

Shuto fidgets around in his chair, tapping his fingers against his lap.

_You can do it!_ he thinks to himself, trying to motivate his legs to get up and move towards her. He feels that he can do it, but he suddenly loses all hope at once again, just like before. _Gah, I can't do it! It's no use!_

He suddenly hears a loud, piercing scream. He looks around. Nobody's taken notice at it. _Can they not hear it? _There's another scream, even louder than the first one. Shuto's head starts to throb from the horrible sound.

_Where are you coming from?_ He continues to investigate the area, trying to find the source of the horrible sound. Everyone is dancing and drinking, enjoying themselves and not noticing the scream that could make the windows shatter if it got any louder.

There isn't any more screams after that. Just silence. Shuto sits back down in his chair, and starts to rub the sides of his head as he tries to make the sudden headaches go away.

_It might be the Society trying to get to my head . . ._ he thinks as he continues to massage his temples. _Just ignore it if it happens again . . ._

"Shuto."

Shuto looks up at the call of his name, and sees Yashiro standing in front of him with Rei.

"Are you okay?" she asks. "You look like you got a brick smashed into your head."

"It sure feels like it," he teases, trying to ignore Rei standing next to her. "Are you . . . enjoying the party?"

"Yeah, I guess so," she says. "But I haven't spotted anyone from the Society here."

"They may be hiding in their human forms too, remember," Shuto reminds her.

Yashiro gives him a playful punch on the shoulder. "Yeah, I know. I'm not that stupid."

Shuto's face goes pale. "I-I didn't mean it like-"

"Hey, don't worry about it!" Yashiro laughs. "I was joking! Besides, I would have killed you a lot sooner if I knew you thought I was stupid."

Shuto tries to laugh, but he finds it hard to with the anxiety of knowing that the person's scream could come back any minute.

"Say, Yashiro, did you hear anything unusual recently?" he asks her. "Maybe a loud scream?"

Yashiro looks at him like he's the stupid one now. "No."

" . . . Alright," Shuto says in defeat. There went his proof that somebody screamed; if Yashiro couldn't hear it, then that meant that only Shuto could.

Yashiro bends down to meet with his eyes and smiles. "Are you sure you're okay, Shuto-kun?" she asks.

Shuto blushes when he sees her smile. "Uh, yes, I'm sure!" he stammers. "

Yashiro stands straight up again. "Suit yourself," she giggles before turning to Rei. "Come on, let's go get some punch."

Rei nods and takes her hand, guiding her to the table where they serve the wine, punch, and finger food.

Shuto groans and slumps back into his chair. _Yashiro can't hear it. That means that I'm the only one that-_

Another loud scream pierces through his thoughts. It's a little bit different than the one he had heard earlier – a lot less shrill and horrific – but the rest of the people in the ballroom take notice immediately. They all turn in one direction to see the blond-haired man that has a women held tightly against himself, his arm wrapped around her neck and a knife held up to her face with the other hand. Shuto runs towards the man, running behind one of the curtains that are hanging on walls so that he can change into his Reaper form without being seen. Then he sees Uzuki and Mitsuhiro, both of them in their Reaper forms, going in the same direction, as well as Yashiro, Rei, Link, and eventually, Zelda.

**Chapter 20 (continued)**

I skid to a stop before I can get to close to the man. He's yelling things at all of us, telling us not to come any closer. I immediately obey, knowing that if I get any closer to him he'll probably skin that woman alive with that sharp pocketknife of his.

"Get back!" the man hisses, holding his knife out to the crowd to ward them away. He backs away from us, holding his hand over the frightened woman's mouth so that she can't scream. Before any of us can stop him, the huge, stained glass windows from behind him shatter, and Reapers start to fly, their bodies cloaked in their black robes. When they land, they stay behind the man as they lower their hoods, revealing their Reaper faces. The man's spiky blond hair begins to fall, his pointed bangs falling over his eyes in little tufts and strange tattoos emerging on his arms.

Uzuki runs up next to me. "I know who that is!" she hisses. "That's Viscen!" As the Reapers start to walk closer to us, Uzuki begins to recite the names to me as the crowd backs away. "Those two girls walking next to each other . . . those are the Society Sisters, both captains of their own squads, Xixion and Ixion Kobayashi. Xixion is the one with the longer hair, and Ixion is the one with the shorter. And that one over there . . . that's Grimmex. And there's Luxerus, another captain. And little Miki, one of the youngest to join the Society . . . and that man walking next to her . . ."

Uzuki stops, and swears under her breath. "Saru. His name is Saru."

"You're acting like you know him," I question her.

Her hands tighten into fists as she begins to grind her teeth together. "He did the same thing that we're doing now; he want undercover at the Academy, and when I died, he was one of my mentors. The idiot probably knows I'm here."

I look ahead again, and I see Saru give a little teasing wave at Uzuki, and then he gives her a thumbs-up with a big smile on his face.

"Don't intimidate him," she growls. "He's from Mikumo's squad; he's stronger than he looks. The little girl, Miki, is also from Saru's team as well. There are a few other Reapers here too, but I can't place their names or faces; they're probably just pawns that the captains pulled out to use for this attack."

Out of all the Reapers that have shown up here, I recognize two. Luxerus, from the time we ambushed him when he was getting too close to our house. And Xixion, when I went back in time for the first time with my Time Gate; she happened to be in that time stream as well, and she attacked me. And even though Saru and Miki are here, I don't see their squad leader, Mikumo. I still have to pay him back for smashing my face into the ground back when I was spending the day with Zelda, five years ago.

The man now known as Viscen smiles at the crowd, his knife held up to the woman's throat. Then with a disturbing smile, he kills the woman in one move, swiping his blade through her neck. After that one kill, that one act of violence, the Reapers go into a fit of rage, charging straight at the crowd and grabbing anybody they can. Uzuki and I run back, trying to stay away from the Reaper's grasp as we get our weapons together. I reach back underneath my jacket and pull out my sword where I had hidden it between my jacket and my shirt, hidden from the eyes of the public. I guess you can say I got the idea from Zero/Zelda, how she always hid her sword underneath her jacket, right against her back for easy access. I catch a glimpse of Uzuki, who's trying to bend down while she runs. She finally gets a hold on her dress and lifts it so that she can pull out the two handguns that are strapped inside her boots.

"Uzuki, where did you get those?" I ask as I watch her load the guns with bullets.

"Makoto," she snickers as she looks back and fires a few bullets at the Reapers that already have innocent people in their arms.

"Oh, so they're loaded with bullets now?" I ask sarcastically, remembering back to the time when we had brawled in the backyard of the Academy and he didn't even use real bullets.

Uzuki gets my joke and smiles before firing another bullet. While we're looking back though, we don't notice the huge Reaper that's standing a few meters away from us, ready to attack. The man grabs me right out of my run, his fingers wrapping around my neck. Uzuki skids on her boots, sliding onto her back as she skims right between the man's legs to the other side of him. Those are the things that only Uzuki can do.

Uzuki gets to her feet and shoots a few bullets straight at the man's head, forcing him to drop me onto the floor and clamp his hands over his bullet wounds. I watch as Uzuki jumps up from behind him and wraps her arm around his neck, holding him in place as she holds the gun to the side of his head.

"Oh, shush shush, now," she whispers in his ear, the look in her eyes changing from furious to just plain mad. "You're just a pawn; you were supposed to die here anyways." Then she pulls the trigger, and the man falls to the ground in a crumpled heap.

Uzuki helps me up from the floor, and we both stare at the dead Reaper on the ground. Those bullets are infused with light, no doubt about it.

"Uzuki! Help me!" we hear Mitsuhiro scream from behind us. When we turn around, we see him being held down by three much larger Reapers, all three of them complete strangers to us. Uzuki runs towards him with the guns in hand, and takes all three of them down in less than a few seconds before they can do anything harmful to poor Mitsuhiro.

Mitsuhiro dusts himself off before pulling out the katana that he has strapped to his pants belt.

"Thanks," he says to Uzuki before charging off with his sword into a crowd of blood-thirsty Reapers.

As I look around the room, I start to realize that the captains and squad members are doing nothing. It's all the pawns and lower-ranked Reapers that are fighting here, getting their heads shot off by Uzuki's bullets and their hearts stopped by anyone else who can manage to kill them. The Society is cruel to do that, to send their men and women out to battle and have the higher-ups watch like it's some kind of dogfight.

I try to stay away from the Reapers as attempt to find all of our own teammates. Mitsuhiro is slicing away with his katana, and Uzuki is using the guns that Makoto gave her. I eventually find Yashiro, punching each Reaper as hard as she can and knocking them out cold for Uzuki to later tend to with her light-infused bullets. Shuto is using his sound distortion to keep the Reapers away from the humans, knocking them back with the sound waves from the sound machine that he has strapped to his arms and chest every time they threaten to come any closer.

As I'm running through the crowds of people, fending off any Reapers that come by way, I soon find Zelda, fighting side-by-side with Rei, Yashiro's brother, Higashizawa, and Uzuki's brothers, Taishou and Mikoshi. She really does seem compatible with all of the Assassins, even though she's the Princess of Hyrule. Taishou is doing the same thing as Yashiro, knocking all of the Reapers out cold. Mikoshi is using a gun as well, only it looks like it's a revolver; whether or not the bullets are light-infused, it's hard to tell. Rei has this girl fighting by his side, and to me, it looks a lot like the girl that wouldn't let me cross the first day I met Rei. She looks like she's a puppet, like Kon, only she's much bigger. Rei's using her to defend the rest of the group. Zelda is using her power to kill the Reapers for good, stabbing them and severing them apart limb from limb with her light-infused sword.

While I give the final strike to a Reaper who's been on my tail for the past five minutes, I accidentally bump into this taller, blond-haired girl dressed in a long, red gown, the fabric made to fit to her body and the end of the gown wrapping around her ankles in a mermaid-tail style. She looks rather innocent at first, but then I see the huge hammer that she's wielding, and she squishes a nearby Reaper into a mush of guts and broken bones with it. The thing is gigantic, but she seems to have no trouble wielding it at all.

"Sorry, hon!" she apologizes after we've bumped into each other. "Didn't see you there!"

I give her an apologetic smile, and then I slice my sword straight through another Reaper, focusing all of my Soul power and light magic into it so that it kills them on the spot.

"Hey, you're a pretty slick fighter," the girl compliments me as we stand back to back, taking care of any Reapers that come our way. "You ought to be an Assassin. We could use skills like yours."

I smirk at her remark before driving the blade of my sword straight into the chest of a female Reaper. "Sorry," I tell her as I pull the sword back out of the Reaper's lifeless body. "But I'm a Time Keeper."

She giggles as she squishes another Reaper right into the floor with her hammer. "Aw, that's too bad. My name's Victoria, by the way."

"Link," I say to her as we circle the area, still standing back to back.

"Link, huh? Wait a minute; you're the leader of the Time Keepers, aren't you?"

"Yeah, the one and only."

She spins around, and before I can stop her, she slaps me right across the face.

"You backstabbing son of a bitch!" she yells at me. I feel sort of betrayed; we had been fighting together pretty well until I mentioned my name. Now the only enemy she looks like she wants to squish is me.

"Um, I'm sorry; did I do anything to offend you?" I ask her as I rub my face. She slaps me again, even harder than last time.

"Oh man, I've always wanted to do that!" she sings happily, letting out a squeal of joy before slapping me again.

"Hey, stop it!" I yell. "I wasn't born on this planet for you to just slap me around!"

"Well, you deserve it!" she growls before turning around and smashing another Reaper to their death. She spins around to face me again. "Here's poor ole' Zelda going to all the trouble of wanting to impress you so that she can fight by your side, and you ignore her and go on your fancy little journey without her!"

"What?" I ask confusedly, pushing my sword backwards into a Reaper that I know has been sneaking up on me for the past minute or so. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, you've gotta pay attention to Zelda's feelings a bit more!" she growls, raising her hand into a fist as she bashes a Reaper over the head with it before it can ambush her. It falls to the floor, completely knocked out from the strike. She's got a pretty good iron fist there.

I look up at her with anger in my eyes. "Oh, so you're Zelda's little buddy of confinement, huh?"

"You bet I am!" she yells furiously as she spins around and swings her hammer straight into another Reaper, launching them across the room like a golf ball being hit from its tee. Then she looks back at me, her expression downright violent now. "And it's because of you that Zelda's turned into such a violent, god-awesome bitch!"

I lash out a kunai from my holster and hold it straight to her neck. "Don't call Zelda that," I hiss angrily, ready to take this girl's head off.

She smiles a devious smile, and winks at me. "Pay more attention to your girl, then," she giggles before backing away from the kunai that's pointed at her throat and running out to another part of the ballroom with her hammer in hand.

Thankfully, most of the people have managed to escape, thanks to us. Some of them weren't so lucky though; bodies, both Reaper and human, litter the ground in every direction. But the Reapers are still coming, still chasing after us and those that haven't escaped yet. I start to locate my teammates again, so that I know they're okay. I even take into account the Assassins that are here, including Victoria, Uzuki's brothers, Higashizawa, and Rei. The only one I can't seem to find is Uzuki.

I run up to Mitsuhiro and grab him by his shoulder to get his attention. He reacts with a strike of his hand, but I block it. Then he realizes it's me.

"Don't sneak up behind me like that, Link!" Mitsuhiro growls at me. "I'm really on edge right now, okay?"

"Have you seen Uzuki anywhere?" I ask immediately, ignoring his irritation with me.

"What? Yeah, she said she had a plan," Mitsuhiro says to me. "She went upstairs – look, see?" He points up to the ceiling, where Uzuki is standing on the upper balcony on the second floor. I watch as she backs up and charges straight for the railing, and jumps right off. I flinch in fear, waiting for her to fall to the floor, but instead she grabs onto one of the chandeliers that are hanging from the ceiling and positions herself upside-down on it. Then she holds both guns out, the chandelier swinging in a circle from the sudden momentum of her jump, and begins to rapidly pull the triggers on the guns.

Mitsuhiro urges me to the other side of the room, out of range of the bullets, and all the rest of us do the same thing, hiding near the walls so that we don't get shot. Uzuki continues to fire her bullets, shooting down every single last Reaper, all of them falling to their knees and then finally to their deaths, landing on either their stomachs or their backs. The bullets continue to fly, the sound of the guns blasting the ammo becoming deafening to my own ears.

Finally, it's all over.

Every single one of the Reapers that attacked us – all the pawns that the Society sent out to kill – are dead, never to open their eyes or take another breath again. I look up at Uzuki, who looks exhausted to the point that she may as well just fall off that chandelier right now. She manages to pull herself back up though, and jump back to the balcony. When she's back on the first floor and in the main area of the ballroom, she puts the guns that Makoto had given her back inside her boots.

The captains that had lead the Reapers here are gone too. Cowards.

Uzuki takes a few breaths, trying to calm herself. Mitsuhiro hugs her tightly, and smiles.

"You did good out there," he says to her. "That's the Uzuki I know."

**A Short Interlude**

Ixion smashes her fist against the table, knocking over her glass of water.

"We were so close, but those goddamn Time Keepers got in our way again!" she screams, her hair frazzled in all directions and her veins popping out from her skin.

Xixion sits silently at the table, untouched by the sudden turn that their plan has taken.

"Ixion, calm down," she says. "It will do you no good getting sulky about it. It's not just the Time Keepers that got in our way; the Assassins were there too."

Ixion grumbles something under her breath, and spits on the floor before continuing, "I'm so sick of them getting in our way! We should have captured Link while we were there, if you ask me!"

The man with the mask, Ikkashi, holds up his hand to silence her. "Watch your temper, Ixion. True, it would have been a good plan to kidnap Link at the time, but you must remember that Link had his group, along with the Assassins, to protect him."

Ixion sits back down in her chair. "But they ruined our plan! What are we going to do now? Sit around like before and just _wait_ for another opportunity like that to arise?"

Ikkashi shakes his head at her. "No. I have another idea. Tell me, what does Link have that none of us don't?"

"Demons?" Ixion asks.

"The Time Gate," he corrects. "With that, he can change the course of history at any given time, granted he has a diary entry for it."

"Yeah, so?" Ixion sneers.

"We'll take the Time Gate from him," Ikkashi says.

Xixion lets out a laugh. "You think it'll be that easy? It's hard enough to kidnap Link, but to take his Time Gate? I guess you've forgotten that he watches over that thing like a hawk."

"Then why don't we have him give it to us?"

Ixion rolls her eyes. "Get to the point already, Ikkashi."

He glares at her from behind his completely white mask. "We'll kidnap one of the other Time Keepers; one of the weaker ones. Then we'll hold him or her as ransom for the Time Gate."

Ixion leans back in her chair and makes a satisfied smile. "I like the sound of that plan. And I guess, as usual, I'm going to be the one pulling this off?"

"We wouldn't have it any other way, Ixion," he says. "Just make sure you capture one that they'll have to trade the Time Gate for."

Ixion smirks to herself. "I know just the one."


	21. High School Breakout

Hey everyone,

This chapter is a little shorter, so you don't have to worry about being stuck reading for long periods of time until your eyes burn out of your skull. This is the last chapter from this bundle that I'm submitting, and I probably won't have another bundle ready for the next week or so, unless I get my Internet back or I visit the school computers daily to submit chapters.

Uzuki Cheverie

**Time Gate: The Adult Chapters **

**Chapter 21: High School Breakout**

It hasn't been our lucky day. But then again, all of our 'luck' went down the drain when we accepted this stupid mission. So I guess you can say it hasn't been our lucky semester.

First of all, we've had to deal with the Assassins, which you can bet wasn't all that fun. We've also tried to blend in with regular society, and so far, we've totally screwed that up.

And now, to top off all the dangerous, horrible things that have happened, _now _I've got to deal with the Society, who have decided to politely drop in and come after us! And apparently the Reapers decided to split up, so I'm running for my life with Zelda, and the Reapers are Goddess knows where.

It's at times like these that I'm _grateful_ for being a Kokiri and not having to go to school.

So now I'm running for my life from this red-haired Reaper, trying to keep up with Zelda; that's right, she's faster than me too now! The only thing is, she's not being weighed down by a school bag.

Wait, why am I still carrying this thing anyway . . .?

I take the bag off my shoulders and fling it at the Reaper, hitting him square in the face. Poor guy, being stuck in his human form . . . oh well, at least I managed to get away.

"Link, over here!" Zelda calls to me from around the corner. "I found a hiding spot!"

I look at the hiding spot that she's talking about, and then I scowl.

"There is no way I'm getting in there."

"Just get in, you sissy!"

**A Short Interlude**

The red-haired man gets back to his feet, tossing aside the surprisingly heavy school bag and beginning his chase again.

"Stupid kid . . ." he growls to himself as he runs down the hallway. "It sucks to be a member of the Society . . . everybody runs away from you! All I want is a little conversation with the guy, but _no_, that's apparently way too much to ask for!"

He turns left, certain that the two had gone down that way, only to be greeted by an empty hallway.

"Huh? Where did they go?" he asks himself, clueless as to how the two fairies had managed to escape so quickly in a hallway with a dead end and only one classroom. He opens the door to the single classroom; the music room. He searches behind the teacher's desk, behind the drum sets, and in the large cabinets, but he doesn't find them.

He stands up from his knees and scratches his head curiously, his red curls wrapping around his fingers as he does it.

"Impressively done . . ." he sighs to himself, shrugging his shoulders. "A conversation is all I asked for, too . . ."

Then he leaves the classroom, closing the door behind him, and walks down the hallway, past the long row of shut metal lockers.

**Chapter 21 (continued)**

"Did you have to stuff us both into the _same _locker?"

"I'm sorry, but I'm not enjoying this much either! It was the only locker I knew the combination to!"

We see the Reaper pass right by us.

"There, he's gone!" I grunt. "Now get me out of here!"

"Be patient! Wait for him to go into the next hallway!" Zelda growls.

After waiting the longest time, Zelda finally opens the locker door and exits it first, allowing me to finally breathe. It was not fun at all being stuck in that horrible . . . _awkward _position.

"Don't _ever_ make me do that again!" I yell, trying hard not to be too loud.

"Do you think I enjoyed it either?" Zelda hisses. "We have to find the rest of your group right now."

I pull out my C.T. crystal and change it to the tracker, the names of my friends showing up in a bunch of different locations throughout the school.

"Uzuki is in the gymnasium," I say. "Her name isn't moving, so she's either hiding or . . . well, she could be dead."

Zelda snatches the crystal out of my hand. "Way to look on the bright side of things." She looks at the tracker herself as he tries to locate everyone else.

"We try not to get too attached to each other," I mumble. "In case any one of us dies."

"Sure thing," Zelda growls at me. "Based on what I've seen, two of your members are dating, one of them has a crush on the other, and there's one who's like a mother to them all; that doesn't look like limited attachment to me."

"And I'm sure you Assassins can do better?" I challenge her.

"Sure we do," Zelda replies. "Did I ever tell you about the time Makoto stabbed me in the back with a knife? Or when Taishou broke my arm? Or even when Higashizawa tested one of his own potion creations on me?"

I swallow from her cruel analysis of life with the Assassins. I can tell that they don't appreciate one another very much.

"I love every single damn one of them, though," Zelda says, making me think otherwise. "The broken bones and deep cuts just shows how much they care."

I can't help but raise an eyebrow in doubt at her statement. It's nice to know how much the Assassins care, really; they love her so much that they want to be the death of her.

"It looks like Mitsuhiro made it outside in one piece," Zelda says as she watches the names on the tracker. "Uzuki's still in the gymnasium."

"I really hope she's just hiding," I say worriedly, thinking of all the possibilities as to why she hasn't moved. I start to remind myself that Uzuki tends to go towards stealth when it comes to situations like these.

"Shuto's just made it outside too," Zelda clarifies, her eyes zoned in Shuto's name. Then she goes to find Yashiro. "It looks like Yashiro hasn't made it out yet. She's travelling around the school though. She might be having a hard time getting out."

"Where is she?"

"It looks like she's upstairs."

I take my crystal back from her and slip it back around my neck again. We can take care of ourselves just fine, but the Reapers and I tend to stay together as much as possible, so whenever we get split up, we try our hardest to get back together again, especially if there are several enemies involved. But with Zelda here, it makes me wonder if the Assassins are going to bust in here to help us like they did with the Christmas party. I think that's the only time the Assassins and the Time Keepers have ever actually worked together. Of course, we both have the same enemy when it comes down to it; we just have way different methods to solving it, not to mention the Time Keepers are the ones that are at more danger because of me and the Reapers, who are now wanted criminals in the eyes of the Society. It makes me wonder why the Assassins would drag themselves into our mess. Maybe they felt that they had to serve their kingdom as well, even though the enemy doesn't need them for anything at all?

"Zelda, you should get out of here," I tell her. "I'll go find Uzuki and Yashiro."

Zelda glares at me. "What, you don't think I can handle it in here with the Reapers running around?"

"It's not like that, I-"

"Link, I'm probably stronger than you, anyway," she hisses. "I'm staying here. I'd like to kick a few Reapers around."

I shake my head at her in rejection. "No, Zelda. Just get out of here, okay? Get somewhere safe."

"Link. I can handle myself just fine."

I glare back at her, my hands tightening into fists. I can't jeopardize the Princess' life.

"And what if you don't make it out, Zelda?" I ask her. "What'll happen then? The Assassins will have lost their faithful Zero; and the kingdom will have lost its Princess. You're more important than the rest of us, especially me."

She stares at me in awe. "What's wrong with you? You can't just accept the fact that I'm not the same Princess you knew five years ago, can you?"

"That's not what it is, Zelda, I-"

"You can't stand to watch me in the middle of the battlefield, fighting to the death with the creatures that are trying to destroy our world!"

I grab her shoulders and pull her into a hug so tight I'm sure that I'll probably break her ribs if I hug her any tighter.

"Zelda, I can't lose you," I whisper, my fingers digging into her tunic-style jacket. "Please, just leave. I don't want to lose you . . . just get out of here alive."

When I let Zelda go, she continues to look at me, her eyes a little calmer than before, and then she turns around and heads down the hallway, towards the lobby. I really hope that silent departure means that she'll listen to me. If she doesn't, I'm going to be pretty mad at her later.

When she's gone, I start to head down the same hallway, but instead taking a right into the gymnasium, where I'm sure Uzuki is hiding. When I enter the gymnasium, it's completely empty. If there was anywhere for Uzuki to properly hide, it would either be in the teacher's office, or in the storage room where all the gym equipment is kept.

I start down the small that splits off in four directions; the office, the storage room, the girl's locker room, and the men's locker room. Before I can make it very far down the hallway, however, I immediately hit the ground. Through the office window I could see a person standing on guard – a higher-up from the Society – staring straight out the window as well. I lay on the floor, a little nerve-wracked, waiting for the Society Reaper to open the door and attack me. But the door never opens, and I begin to believe that he may not have seen me. When I raise my head to peek through the window, I see that the man is actually facing in the other direction, but he's wearing a mask on the back of his head. He's looking down at an unconscious Uzuki, who's lying against the wall with little tubes inserted into her arms in specific places. I don't know what it is, but they're doing something to her in there that definitely isn't good.

I get back down to my knees and pull out a smoke grenade from my bag. I've started carrying them around more often, now that I know how useful they can be. I pull the ring off it and chuck it through the window, the glass shatter onto the floor and catching the man's attention. The grenade goes off before he can find me. There's a huge bang, and smoke begins to seep out the broken window and underneath the door. The man stumbles out of the room, coughing his lungs out and trying to regain himself, but before he can come to, I jump him, putting him into a tight chokehold and holding his head back by his hair with my free hand. The man lets out a shriek of surprise, and as hard as he tries, he can't get out of my hold. I see that he's wearing a mask on the correct side of his face as well, and I begin to realize that this could very well be Ikkashi, one of the members from the higher-up's squads – possibly Jun or Iwata's – and the one that has the reputation to where masks over his face wherever he goes.

I tighten my hold on him and clamp my hand over his mouth, pinching his nose with my other hand so that no air can get into his lungs. He eventually goes limp, and falls down to the floor in a heap, completely unconscious. You may not be able to kill a Reaper easily, but knocking a Reaper out is as simple as knocking a human out. Reapers still have to breathe.

After letting him fall to the floor, I nudge him in the side to make sure he's really out and not just trying to play out an ambush on me. There's no sign of energy in him, so I turn around and head inside the office, where Uzuki is unconscious as well, her body lying against the wall. I immediately rip the tubes out of her arms, a black liquid gushing out from the tubes the moment I do. It's hard to tell whether it's her blood or something that Ikkashi was putting into her, but I don't waste a second to wrap the spots up where the tubes were inserted with a couple layers of bandages.

"Uzuki," I whisper in her ear as I gently shake her. She doesn't wake. Whatever Ikkashi did, it's knocked her out cold. I don't hesitate to lift her up into my arms, her head resting against my left arm and her legs hanging over my right, before heading out the other office door, the one that leads into the hallway. Being in the middle of the hallway doesn't settle well in my head though. If a Reaper finds me, especially when I'm carrying Uzuki, it's going to be hard to escape.

I walk down the hallway with Uzuki draped over my arms, trying to be as quiet as possible when I walk and sneaking past each classroom door in case there happens to be a Reaper inside. As I'm walking, I start to hear the sound of footsteps, and they don't belong to me. When I look back, I see a Reaper walking into the hall from another corridor. He hasn't noticed me yet.

"Oh, shit . . ." I hiss to myself, and the moment I do, the Reaper spots me and breaks into a run. With Uzuki in my arms, it's a little hard to run, and if this Reaper gets any closer it's going to be harder to fend him off with my weapons because both of my hands are currently occupied.

The Reaper starts to gain a good amount of distance towards me, his black robe trailing behind him and the sound of his boots hitting the floor getting louder the closer he gets to me.

"Get back here, Nohansen Hyrule!" he screams at me.

Great, now he's calling me by my last name.

"That's Link, to you!" I yell back at him as I throw a fireball back at him. I never really use magic much; I'm so used to using shuriken and my sword that it's hard to get the hang of it when I really need it. But I manage to get him right in the face after a couple shots, and it hits him hard, knocking him onto his back. He screams in pain as he tries to get the burning chunks of ember off his face, and when he does, his face is throbbing and completely red.

"I'm going to kill you!" he screams as he begins chasing after me again. Thanks to the damage I did to his face, he's not as fast as before, and I manage to keep a good distance between the both of us. But soon, another Reaper – the same red-haired one that nearly got Zelda and I earlier – is standing between me and the Reaper behind me. I can't stop, but I know that if I keep running I'll eventually just run into him. I prepare another fireball in my hand.

"Saru, get him!" the man from behind me commands in a threatening voice. "Don't let him get away!"

The red-haired man smiles at me, but before I can chuck the fireball at him, he steps out of the way, allowing me to run by. I look back at him, to see why he could have possibly let me go, but all I see is the same smiling face of his, and then he makes a secret Hylian prayer with his right hand, pressing his index and ring fingers against his forehead before resting his palm on his chest. It's the prayer that means, "Good luck. May you find peace in your travels." It can be used for anything really: people leaving for pilgrimages, people who are passing away, and people that are leaving behind families. But this particular prayer, the one that he's given me now, obviously means that he's praying for my safety from the Society.

I nod at him before turning my gaze around again and high-tailing it for the lobby door, cutting off the Soul that's pulsing through my arm and dousing the fireball that had been raging in my hand.

And then, I'm outside. In the bright sunshine, completely free to run as far away as I can from the school that has now become the perfect arena for a game of manhunt.

**A Short Interlude**

"Goddammit, Saru, why did you let him go?" the burly blue-haired man yells angrily, furious veins popping out of his angry-red forehead.

Saru twiddles a toothpick between his teeth. "Cause' I like the kid. Isn't that reason enough?"

The man punches Saru across the face, knocking him straight to floor. Saru sits up, rubbing his face, and spits his toothpick to the floor, the end of it that was in his mouth bloody from the impact of the man's punch.

"Fuck, Grimmex. Have some respect, yeah?" Saru spits as he gets back up to his feet and stretches his stiff shoulders out.

Grimmex takes a step towards Saru and grabs him by the front of his robe, his black eyes staring deeply into Saru's.

"I don't need to have respect for a disgusting Twili-Reaper who's ranked lower than I am," he sneers.

" . . . Ranking and species doesn't make a fucking difference to me," Saru mutters. "I let the kid go because I'm on his side."

Grimmex releases his hold on Saru's robe, and crosses his muscular arms. "And how are you going to explain that to Mikumo? He'll have your head. Besides, there's no point in taking that fairy's side; he's going to be the death of us if you let him free."

Saru shakes his head. "No, he won't. Grimmex, stop letting Jun and Iwata use you. You're just their puppet; you don't make a goddamn difference to them."

"I'm fighting for my Realm," he growls.

"So? Why are you fighting for your Realm?" Saru challenges.

"To stop the Realm of Light," Grimmex replies.

Saru lets out a groan of defeat, and rolls his eyes. "The Realm of Light didn't do flipping shit to us, dude! You're chasing after the wrong enemy here!"

Grimmex walks up to Saru again, but keeps his hands down. Instead, he gives a threatening glare to the red-headed Twili.

"Excuse me?" he growls. "I think I know who the enemy is, Saru."

Saru sighs. "You obviously don't, you fucking retard. If you did, you'd know that if Ganondorf-or-whatever comes back to life, he's going to end up conquering _both _Realms, and then our asses are screwed."

"The Great Ganondorf wouldn't betray us like that."

Saru laughs out loud. "Are you listening to yourself, Grimmex? Ganondorf doesn't give a shit about any of us! The only thing he wants is the Triforce so that he can take over Hyrule! Jun and Iwata probably figure that if they bring him back to life, he's going to give them some 'special spot' on the throne of ruler of Hyrule! And what's going to happen if he takes over Hyrule? He's probably going to take over this world too!"

Grimmex scowls at him and turns around, not saying a word.

"It's just food for thought, Grimm!" Saru calls from behind him, watching as he heads down the hall. "Ichiru's on my side too! And if the Society wants to kick me out, so be it! Uzuki and the others convinced me otherwise when they arrived in the Dark Realm as Reapers! They're going to kill you, and I'm just going to stand behind them every step of the way!"

When Grimmex disappears down the hallway, Saru rubs his head and sighs.

"Fuck. That idiot . . ."

**Chapter 21 (continued)**

I've made it a safe distance away from the school. Mitsuhiro is out here too, and when he sees Uzuki hanging from my arms, with bandages tied over the spots where the tubes had been, a look of relief washes over his face, and he graciously thanks me.

"Link, thank the Goddess Nayru you found her," he cries as he strokes her unconscious face. "I have no idea what I'd do if I lost her again . . ."

"What about Shuto? Where's he?" I ask as I hand Uzuki over to him, spreading Uzuki out into his muscular, pale arms.

"He's having his own panic attack right now," Mitsuhiro replies. "Yashiro still hasn't come out yet."

I pull out my C.T. crystal and check the tracker again. Sure enough, Yashiro is still upstairs, but she has indeed moved. I have a feeling that Yashiro is trapped running in circles; the upstairs hallway is basically built like a circle, leading downstairs at one end and going back up in the other.

"I wish I could track the Reapers too," I groan in defeat as I close the tracker and drop my crystal underneath my shirt again. "That way I could know how many there are."

"I ran into Grimmex at one point, on my way out," Mitsuhiro says. "I also caught a glimpse of Viscen; he was patrolling one of the main hallways, so I had to come outside through a window."

"Grimmex? Which one is that again?" I ask, thinking back to the Reapers I ran into while inside the building.

"The big guy, with the blue, spiky hair," Mitsuhiro clarifies. "He's from Jun's squad. And Viscen is from Luxerus' squad."

"Oh, yeah, Grimmex chased me for a good while down the hallway," I tell him. "I also found Ikkashi guarding Uzuki. I managed to take him out though."

"Wow, you took down Ikkashi of Iwata's squad?" he snickers at me. "That takes guts, bro'."

"Well, I just knocked him out," I tell him. "I threw one of Uzuki's smoke grenades through the office window and jumped him when he came outside. He had these strange tubes hooked up to Uzuki. I don't know if he was taking blood out of her body or putting something inside her . . . I just ripped the tubes out. It was probably a dumb idea; those tubes could have been keeping her alive."

Mitsuhiro snuggles Uzuki's head up to his neck. "You got her out, though. That's what matters. We'll worry about what those tubes were later." He points past me, towards the school. "Did you meet any Reapers in there? You said that you met Grimmex."

"Grimmex and a red-haired one with these weird face tattoos," I mutter. "The red-haired one chased Zelda and I – hey, where's Zelda?" I look around, realizing that I had totally forgotten about her.

"She took off the moment she was outside of the school," Mitsuhiro says. "She probably went to get help from her Assassin buddies."

"For once, it would be great if the Assassins showed up," I chuckle as I lean forward to crack my back. "I wouldn't mind seeing Makoto right about now. He could at least help us take care of this mess."

"You said you met with a red-haired Reaper . . ." Mitsuhiro begins, his face stern as he rubs his chin, staring at Uzuki's lifeless, peaceful face. "That might have been Saru, from Mikumo Sato's squad."

"I don't know who that is," I mumble angrily. It annoys me when the rest of the Time Keepers, specifically the Reapers, go into some kind of conversation about the members of the Society, the ones that they knew when they were in confinement when they were reborn. I have no idea who these people are, so it's a natural habit for me to tune out of the conversation when it comes up over dinner time. I know I should be paying attention though; these people are my enemies, and soon, I'm probably going to have to kill him.

"Oh, sorry," Mitsuhiro apologizes, realizing my lack of knowledge towards the subject. "Um, Saru was a Twili to begin with, but he went through a strange process that infuses Reaper blood into a Twili's . . . so he has Twili _and _Reaper powers, but he's not dead. This means that he's immortal like the rest of us. He ended up going undercover at the Academy – much like we're doing now – when we were alive, and he also befriended us while we were Reapers for the first few weeks . . . that is, until we turned on the Society and left them behind. I can't imagine what his attitude towards is right now."

A Twili-Reaper. That means that when he was chasing me . . . how did he do that? Was he in his human form, or his Twili-Reaper form? I've never seen a Twili in light either – their bodies work the same way as Reapers – and whenever I did, they were shadows.

"He might not hate you that much," I tell him, trying to ignore the argument that's arose in my head. "He was there to block me off when I was running from Grimmex, but instead of stopping me, he stepped out of the way and prayed secretly for my safety."

Mitsuhiro begins to chew on his lower lip. "That's going to get him in trouble," he mumbles. "It's considered an act of rebellion; he's probably going to get punished, maybe even executed."

Executed. For letting us go. It wouldn't be surprising at all. To let go the most wanted people of the Dark Realm, to show aid towards them, is definitely a crime in itself, and knowing the Society's vicious and uncaring ways, they probably won't care if they lose one member, even if he's a higher-up. They can always easily replace him with someone else.

I take my eyes off Mitsuhiro for a moment to look at Shuto who's standing a good distance away, pacing back and forth. It's been driving me a teensy bit crazy for the past few minutes, since I noticed what he was doing.

"Shuto!" I yell at him. "Calm down! I promise you, Yashiro will be fine!"

Shuto scowls at me, his teeth clenched together as he grinds them against one another. "You don't know that, Link!"

"Come on, she's ranked higher than you for a reason, bud," I laugh. "No offense to your fighting skills, of course."

"But she's in her human form, Link!" Shuto cries out. "She doesn't have her strength or sword or anything like that to defend herself! She's different than Uzuki and Mitsuhiro; she never got into real fights with Reapers as a human! Uzuki got into fights with Reapers a lot when she was alive, even without knowing it; she also got into fights with creatures I dare not speak of!"

Mitsuhiro nods at me. "He's right. Yashiro may be intimidating in her Reaper form, but that's only because she has her Reaper forms to back her up. In her human form, she's even easier to take than Russell Hendry; and back in high school, he was a nerdy bookworm who weighed less than eighty pounds." Mitsuhiro makes a light smile at Uzuki. "Uzuki here, she really did well in Strategics and Defense. She studied a bunch of different fighting styles even before she got into that class, and the class only accelerated those skills. The same goes for me. I learned lots of fighting skills because I had reasons to fight, reasons to defend myself, much like Uzuki. Yashiro just didn't have that opportunity, so in her human form, she's one of the weakest of us all, next to Shuto."

I kick the toe of my boot against the ground as I take my crystal out again, turning on the tracker to check if Yashiro's even made it close to the exit. Like before, she's upstairs, but in a different spot. The Reapers must be herding her around like a sheep. But if they are, why aren't they doing anything? Are they trying to box her in to a specific spot?

Shuto groans loudly as he re-ties his shoes and pulls out his flute case, scrambling to open it and put the flute together. "That's it!" he exclaims angrily as he gets back to his feet, kicking the flute case aside. "I'm going in there to find Yashiro!"

Mitsuhiro slips towards him, standing right in front of him so that he can't go any further.

"Hold it there, Shuto," he says. "Take a breather, alright? She'll get out of there. We don't need to lose another one in there."

"But she's in trouble! I just know she is!"

"And you're not going to help by charging in there headfirst! Besides, you're in your human form; what do you expect to do with that flute?"

Shuto looks down to his instrument with an ashamed look in his eyes. Then he shakes his head, and glares at Mitsuhiro.

"I'm going to get her out of there, Mitsuhiro," Shuto snarls, his eyes staring straight into Mitsuhiro's. "And you're not going to stop me. You'd do the same thing for Uzuki. And Link would do the same thing for Zelda."

I can't help but cough in rejection at that statement. I can't say whether I would or would not; so far, after working with her, I've seen that she can handle herself almost better than I can.

Mitsuhiro stares at Shuto in amazement, and then nods in agreement.

"I guess I can't argue with that," he says before stepping out of Shuto's way. "Go ahead. But if anything happens, contact us immediately, alright? We don't need to lose you too."

Shuto smiles and then bursts into a run, heading straight back for the school again, his lab coat flapping behind him like a flag, his hand wrapped tightly around the metal head of his flute.

Then, out of nowhere, Mitsuhiro lifts his hand, pressing his index finger and ring finger against his forehead, and holding his hand to his chest; the same thing that Saru did for me when he let me go.

"He's going to make it out of there . . . right?" I ask with extreme concern after seeing Mitsuhiro's prayer.

"We just have to believe in him," he replies, and looks back down to Uzuki's face, giving a final smile before turning around and heading in the other direction.

Without saying a word to argue, I follow in his steps, the C.T. crystal clenched tightly in my hand, never letting go.

**An Interlude**

"Yashiro!" Shuto screams as he runs down the corridor that leads upstairs. He knows that he shouldn't scream, or speak at all in this situation, but his worry gets the best of him and forces the hasty words out of his mouth. When the words are out, he flinches, stopping where he is to see if a Reaper has found him.

No one arrives. There's no ambush or appearance of any Reaper.

"Yashiro!" Shuto calls again, knowing that if he continues to act so irrationally that it will probably lead to his downfall. "Where are you?"

He lets out a cry as he sinks to his knees, his body trembling and his eyes scrunched tightly together to prevent any tears from falling. "Where are you?" he asks again, this time in a desperate whisper. He brings his flute up, resting his head against the metal.

_This can't be happening . . ._ he thinks to himself as he reopens his eyes, certain that the growing tears have subsided. _Yashiro, where are you?_ _Have you gotten caught by the Reapers?_

He takes out his crystal and turns it on, Yashiro's name appearing on the tracker. He keeps his eyes on it, Yashiro's name not budging from its spot.

Then, within a second, it disappears.

Sweat begins to form on Shuto's forehead as he stares at the crystal, waiting and wishing for Yashiro's name to reappear. He waits for minutes on end, but it never shows.

Shuto gets up to his feet, his flute in one hand and the crystal in the other, as he takes off down the hallway again, a mix of adrenaline and fear coursing through his body like an intense inferno.

Before he can make it to the stairwell at the end of the hallway, his crystal rings, and he slides to a stop. The call claims to be from Yashiro, but when he answers it, Fara's face shows up on the screen.

"Hello, Shuto Kaniji," she says to him with a deceitful smile. "I see that you're back in the school."

"You . . . !" he hisses, his eyebrows lowering and his eyes narrowing in fury at the woman.

"No need to get in such a huff," she giggles. "I have Yashiro here. She's perfectly safe. I knew turning off her tracking signal would catch your attention."

"What have you done with Yashiro?" Shuto screams, his grip on the crystal tightening.

Fara shrugs her shoulders. "You're not going to get any answers from me with that attitude. Why don't you take a look for yourself?" Then she holds the crystal out, taking her face away from the screen and focusing the eye of the crystal on Yashiro, who's huddled in the corner of the room, completely tied up in rope.

"Shuto, help . . . !" Yashiro cries. Fara grabs a handful of Yashiro's short hair and pulls on it.

"Oh, shush, shush, now," Fara sighs as she grabs a strand of thick tape and covers it over Yashiro's mouth so that she can't speak. "We can't have you calling for backup. That will just make things harder for the rest of us."

"Fara, why are you doing this?" he yells. "Are you from the Society?"

Fara rolls her eyes at him. "Of course I'm from the Society, you four-eyed idiot! What was your first freaking clue? What matters is that I've kidnapped one of your precious Time Keepers. What are you going to do about it?"

Shuto snarls at her, his teeth grinding together so hard that you can hear them and his grip on the crystal so tight that it's on the verge of cracking.

"Do something about that anger, Shuto," she giggles with another one of her sick smiles. "If you want the girl back, meet me at the old abandoned building in Castle Town. And come with the Time Gate."

Shuto's stomach begins to churn. Yashiro, the love of his life, for Link's Time Gate? It would be risky, not to mention hard to come to a decision about it.

"Why do you want the Time Gate?" Shuto asks. "You can't use it; only Uzuki and Link can use it, and anybody else that can control time."

"We have our reasons," Fara sneers. "Those are the conditions for getting Yashiro Takahashi back; if you don't bring the Time Gate to me by three o'clock today, I will kill her myself."

Shuto glares back at her, his body beginning to tremble, all in fear for Yashiro's life.

Then Fara smiles. "I'll see you later, Shuto Kaniji."


	22. Hostage

So tonight I'm calling all astronauts  
All the lonely people that the world forgot  
If you hear my voice, come pick me up  
Are you out there?  
Cause' you're all I've got.

Cause' tonight I feel like an astronaut  
Sending S.O.S. from this tiny box  
And I lost all signal when I lifted off  
Now I'm stuck out here and the world forgot  
Can I please come down?  
Cause I'm tired of drifting around and 'round  
Can I please come down?

-Simple Plan, "Astronaut"

**Time Gate: The Adult Chapters**

**Chapter 22: Hostage**

I sink to my knees in fear. The Reaper has Yashiro. Why would they kidnap her of all people? To get to me? You'd think if they were to kidnap somebody, they would either kidnap Link, our faithful Time Keeper leader, or Uzuki, to try and get to Mitsuhiro . . . maybe even Zelda to get to Link. But why Yashiro? Is it because, even though she has raw power on her side, she's one of the weaker members of our group? Or is it because she's not a very good fighter in her human form?

Even so, strange things have been happening lately. Uzuki still has her Berserker skills even in her human form; and Yashiro is showing signs of her Reaper strength even when she's a frail human being. Even I haven't been feeling my usual self for the past little while . . . I've been hearing voices in my head. But they don't speak to me; they only scream. It's a shrill, ear-piercing kind of scream. It's like the voice thinks of my head like a prison, and is trying to break out. And I don't know what to do about it either. I could either be going crazy, or it could be like Dex and Link, when the two talk to each other through their thoughts. Could I have some kind of creature inside of my soul as well?

But now's not the time to be worrying about my problems. Right now, Yashiro is my main concern. I don't care anymore if she chooses Rei Ryuga over me. In the end, I won't be able to live with myself if I don't protect her from that woman from the Society. That girl . . . I should have kept a closer eye on her. I thought it was a little bit odd that she came to the school the exact time we did. The way her eyes showed no signs of emotion, the way she smiled in a disturbing, distrustful way, and the way she slurred her words together, like she was under a spell. She never showed any sign of being a Reaper though; it must be a woman from the Society in her human form. I find it somewhat hard to believe that she was like this when she was a human, but you never know; all the higher-ups in the Society are insane in their own, personal way.

But what does she mean when she says she wants me to meet her in the abandoned house? I mean, there are a lot of abandoned houses here in Castle Town, and I have no time to look for the right one. It's one-thirty now, and I'm supposed to meet her at the abandoned house, with the Time Gate, by three o'clock.

I soon find myself running straight to Link for an answer. He always knows what to do, even when nobody else does. That's what makes him so reliable, so much like Mitsuhiro; he's a quick, dependable thinker.

"Link!" I cough, trying to catch my breath from all the running I've been doing today. I'm thankful I've actually found him; with these Reapers chasing us down, it's hard to stay together.

"There you are!" Link exclaims. "I'm glad you're alright! Have you seen Mitsuhiro or Uzuki anywhere?"

I shake my head at him. "Link, she's got Yashiro!"

Link stops. "W-What?"

"The woman from the Society, who's causing all this mess! The one who's been hiding in the Academy . . . she's kidnapped Yashiro!"

Link starts to anxiously pace on the spot. "That's not good," he growls. "Did she ask for anything to trade for? Kidnappers usually do that."

"She wants . . . she wants the Time Gate, Link," I tell him. "She wants me to meet her at three o'clock and exchange Yashiro for the Time Gate."

"The Time Gate?" Link asks, a blank look crossing his face. "Why would they want that? They can't use it."

"I thought the same thing. They must have someone in the Society who can control time or something . . ."

"Well, did she at least tell you where she has Yashiro?"

"She said that she's holding Yashiro hostage in the 'old abandoned building'," I quote. "But I have no idea where that is!"

Link goes pale. I know that look; he knows exactly what I'm talking about.

"It can't be . . ." he hisses to himself, his eyes growing in panic. ". . . Shuto, I think I know who the Reaper is."

"What? Who?" I ask. I want answers that will tell me about the person who's kidnapped Yashiro.

Link shakes his head. "That doesn't matter. The old abandoned building is in an alleyway in West Clock Town. You'll know it when you see it; the windows are smashed and the door is broken."

I'm a little cross with him for not telling me who the kidnapper is, but I'm sure he has his reasons for not speaking. At least I know where the building is.

"What about the Time Gate?" I ask. "She's not going to give me back Yashiro until I give it to her."

Link pauses for a minute as he thinks over my question. Then he reaches into his bag and pulls out his Time Gate, handing it to me.

I furiously wave my hands at him in rejection. "Link, no!" I object. "I'm not giving her your Time Gate!"

Link forcibly puts it into my hands. "Take it, Shuto! I have a plan. You need to hold back that girl until I can get the rest of the Time Keepers together, alright?"

"But Link, it might not be just her there. You remember what happened at the high school; there's a ton of them after us!"

Link smirks. "You leave that part to me, alright?" He takes my hands and firmly plants them around his diary. "Take it."

I stare at him, completely dumbfounded, wondering how he could give up one of his most prized possessions so easily. But I know he won't take it back. So I grasp it underneath my arm and pat his shoulder with an expression of determination and thanks. I'm not going to let him down.

"Get your butt out of here," Link snickers as he playfully shoves me in the chest. "Go save your girl."

I smile, a little embarrassed, before I turn around and run towards the western end of Castle Town, leaving Link behind outside of the Academy doors.

**A Short Interlude**

Zelda charges inside the house, her sword in hand, and immediately goes straight to Makoto. She strikes her sword into the wooden floor, causing Makoto to jump.

"Somebody's a little cocky today, eh?" he snickers at her as he shuffles a deck of cards in his hands.

"The Reapers have finally attacked Hyrule, Makoto-kun!" she yells, getting straight to the point as she takes her hand off the handle of her sword so that she can cross her arms.

Makoto leans forward in his chair and smashes the deck of cards into the table. When he lifts his gaze to look at Zelda, his eyes are wild with a passion for kill.

"Those Reapers think that they can just run wild in our streets, huh?" he growls, a wide, crooked smile growing on his face. He starts to rapidly tap his fingers against his teeth. "I guess they don't know who they're dealing with . . ."

Taishou emerges from the living room, carrying his metal gloves over his shoulder. He rustles his hair with his free hand, and smiles.

"The first real battle since Christmas, huh?" he mutters. "Sounds like fun."

Makoto snaps his neck to the side. "Indeed it does, Taishou." He jumps up from his chair and whips a knife out from inside his jacket sleeve, holding the metal up to his lips. "Let's go drop in on their little parade, shall we?"

He turns to Zelda with a deadly serious look. "Get the Assassins together. We leave in less than ten minutes."

Zelda nods and pulls her sword out of the metal, before heading upstairs. When she comes back down, her hair is long and blond, with sunglasses resting on the top of her bangs, and dressed in a grey tunic and shorts.

She adjusts the sheath on her back, and smiles at the rest of the Assassins.

"Now remember, everyone," she begins. "Show no mercy."

The rest of the Assassins chant in response, their weapons held high as they charge out of the house.

**Chapter 22 (continued) **

I have a plan. I can't say it'll work all that well, considering I'm a human, but it's worth a shot. And there's only one guy I know who can help me initiate this plan perfectly.

Higashizawa Takahashi.

Of course, as I'm looking around the town, I begin to realize that he's probably not here. I haven't seen any other Assassins around all day, so chances are they're back at their base, which is just my luck considering it's already two o'clock and I only have an hour to spare. I'm also beginning to wonder what Link could possibly be doing. Ever since he gave me his Time Gate, I haven't run into him at all, and I'm guessing he's doing the same thing I am – running around like a chicken with its head cut off trying to think of a solution to this problem. And even though Link tries to keep his cool, the same way Mitsuhiro did when he was leader, he tends to go into panic mode every once in a while. I went into panic mode the moment Yashiro's name disappeared off the tracker.

After a long time of running around, I finally find Higashizawa in a crowd of people. I know it's him, because he's the tallest guy I've ever seen and his head always pops up out of a sea of people. It's kind of silly, really. When I move through the crowd, I see that he's with a couple of the other Assassins as well; Makoto and Rei Ryuga.

"I finally found you!" I say to Higashizawa when I make it to him.

"Have you been searching for me?" he asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Your sister's been kidnapped!" I yell. Cutting to the chase seems fine in this situation. A cross look grows on Higashizawa's face. Makoto's expression doesn't change. Rei Ryuga's face lights up in surprise.

"She got herself kidnapped?" he growls.

"Of course . . . it's always Yashiro," Makoto sneers with a roll of his eyes, like he doesn't even care.

"I'm going to meet up with the kidnapper in about an hour," I tell him. "But I need your help, Higashizawa-san."

Higashizawa smiles and salutes like a soldier. "Well, what can I help you out with, little hippy?"

"I have a plan, but I think you're the only one I know who has the equipment for it," I tell him, trying to ignore the new nickname he's given me. I don't think of myself much as a hippy, but I guess you can say I resemble Higashizawa in an odd way.

"What do you need?" Higashizawa spreads his lab coat open, revealing all kinds of random knickknacks and weapons.

I look at the collection of items he has, and I eventually spot what I'm looking for.

"Those," I tell him.

"Megaphones?" he asks. "What do you need megaphones for?"

"How loud can they go?" I immediately ask, ignoring his curious question.

"Um . . . well, these ones are just for speaking, but if you want the really powerful ones, you'll need these," he says before pulling two different but bigger megaphones off his belt. I'm surprised that all the random junk he's carrying around doesn't slow him down.

"Can I borrow them?" I ask him.

"Are you prepared to pay?" he says with a serious look. Then he laughs. "I'm joking; you don't need to pay, even if you're a Time Keeper."

A look of disgust crosses Makoto's face. He's obviously not happy with his decision.

"But you have to take care of them, alright?" he says as he hands the two megaphones to me. I don't realize how heavy they are until I'm holding them in my hands. I have to carry them by their straps, and when it comes down to it, they're just two really big boxes with transceivers for the sound to go through, so you don't really have to hook anything up. I'm curious as to how Higashizawa got his hands on these things. Unlike Uzuki, he can't just draw them and bring them to life. He must have invented them himself or found them lying around. There is no way that everyone owns a pair of these things. It's advanced technology, especially for Hyrule.

"Dang, dude, how do you carry these things around on your belt?" I grunt as I struggle to keep the two megaphones level with my waist. "They're heavy as hell!"

Higashizawa shrugs his shoulders. "Nah, you get used to em'," he chuckles. "Do you want Makoto and I to do anything?"

"No, I'm going in myself," I tell them. "It would be better if we didn't intimidate the kidnapper with large numbers."

Rei starts to make some signs with his hands.

"He says that he wants to help Yashiro in any way he can," Higashizawa says.

"Meet up with Link, then," I tell him. "He's getting the rest of the Time Keepers together."

Makoto spits at his feet. "I'm not doing a goddamn thing for or with those Time Keepers," he growls, "even if my stepsister is involved."

Higashizawa whacks Makoto over the head.

"Ow, what was that for?" Makoto yells.

"Get over it, Makoto!" Higashizawa shouts. "Mitsuhiro didn't murder Uzuki, alright? And even if he did, it's not like all the Time Keepers plotted it! Yashiro had nothing to do with it! We're going to help this guy out, alright?"

Makoto shakes his head. "I don't think so."

Higashizawa kicks him in the leg this time. "I think you are!" Then he grabs Makoto by his ear, and starts to drag him away, Rei Ryuga following behind him. "See you later, little hippy!" Higashizawa calls with a smile and a wave as he drags Makoto further away.

I look down at the megaphones in my hands. These things are perfect. Hopefully I can get them set up properly for the plan when I'm in the middle of a fight.

I quickly push my way through the crowds of people in the main part of Castle Town, dragging the megaphones behind me. The Assassins and Time Keepers working together . . . somehow, I can see it working out, if those who hate us, like Zero and Makoto, don't get in our way. I can still see Zero getting over her pride and helping us out; she's still Princess Zelda, after all. It's Makoto I'm worried about. He has such a grudge against Mitsuhiro. Uzuki's already told me how she died, but I already knew. We all knew, but we kept it a secret from Uzuki. Mitsuhiro was the one who wanted to tell her. He was the one who took her life, after all. What he did for Uzuki doesn't surprise me one bit; during the last half of our final school year, Mitsuhiro and Uzuki, who were such bitter enemies before, grew quite close. I don't know what made their relationship change from enemies to friends so quickly, but they got along quite well when they became friends. So when he tried to save her life and they were reborn as Twin Reapers, everybody swore not to tell. The only ones who didn't know were Uzuki and Link. The Assassins knew too, but the only one who has a skewed view on it is Makoto; he believes that Mitsuhiro tried to _murder _Uzuki. It's sad to see that his point of view is so horrific, but it's his own fault he doesn't want to believe us. What he saw is what he believes, even though nobody else follows the same belief. He's as stubborn as his stepsister.

I'm at the western alley of Castle Town in less than five minutes. Setting the megaphones down to take a breather, I take a look at my crystal's clock. I have a half-hour to meet up with Fara. That gives me just enough time to pick up one more item for my plan.

I set the megaphones in a safe spot where nobody will notice them, behind a high pile of boxes that haven't been moved in the past five years. If luck's on my side for once, nobody will move the boxes.

Then I turn around, and run as fast as I can for the Temple of Time.

**An Interlude**

Uzuki snaps her eyes open the minute the cold water hits her skin. Her hands immediately go up, wiping the water from her face.

"What . . . ?" she gasps as she takes her gloves off and uses them to towel off her face. "What's going on?" She immediately looks at Link, her eyes narrowing on the empty glass in his hand.

"We had to wake you up," Link says. "You've been out cold for a while now."

"What . . . what happened?" she asks, blinking a bit to adjust her eyes to the atmosphere around her. The three of them are in a brightly-lit room, and she's resting on a white-sheeted bed.

"We stole one of the rooms at the hospital to keep you here until you woke up," Link explains.

"Do you remember anything?" Mitsuhiro asks her.

Uzuki bites her lip, and shakes her head. "I don't . . . no, not really. The last thing I remember is being at the Academy, and . . . Saru! Saru showed up at one point!" she hisses, her expression changing from dazed to furious in less than a second.

"Yes, we know about Saru," Mitsuhiro says to her soothingly as he brushes her bangs out of her eyes for her.

"Ikkashi was there too . . ."

"He had you hooked up to some funky machine," Link mutters. "Are you feeling okay? I don't know what he was doing with you . . . he had a lot of tubes hooked up to your arms."

Uzuki wearily nods her head. "Yeah, I think I'm fine . . ." She gets up from the bed, but only makes it two steps before falling onto the floor, unable to even catch herself.

"Uzuki!" Mitsuhiro yells as he rushes to her aid, grabbing her arm and pressing his hand to her belly to help her up from the floor. Link goes to help her too, grabbing her other arm and supporting her left side as he and Mitsuhiro push her back on the bed again.

"My head . . ." she moans as she presses her hand to her forehead. "I feel really weird . . ."

Mitsuhiro sits back down next to Uzuki and wraps his arms around her. "What's wrong with your head?" he asks her in a low voice.

"Really woozy . . ." she mumbles, her words slurring together like she's on drugs. "I can't feel my legs all of a sudden either . . . or my arms . . ."

"I knew it!" Link exclaims. "They must have been taking blood out of her body! Now she doesn't have enough blood left and she can't feel a dang thing . . . I knew I shouldn't have taken those tubes out!"

Mitsuhiro holds his thumb to his lips as he begins to nibble on his nail. "No, I don't think that's the whole problem here . . ."

Uzuki's eyes suddenly burst open again, this time in pain. She lets out a scream as she begins to claw at her face.

"My head!" she shrieks as she tries to stand up but falls to the floor again. She squirms on the floor, screaming her lungs out as she drags her fingernails down her face. "It's . . . it's on fire!" she cries.

"Link, don't let her get back up!" Mitsuhiro orders as he charges for the hallway, disappearing into Shuto's room and coming back out with a syringe in his hand, a needle prepared at the end.

"Mitsuhiro . . .!" Link grunts as he struggles to keep Uzuki down, her body convulsing and her arms and legs thrashing for freedom. Mitsuhiro gets down to his knees next to Link, and thrusts the needle into Uzuki's arm. She releases a few more garbled screams, tears forming in her eyes, before she goes unconscious again.

Link and Mitsuhiro lean back onto their hands, their legs crossed, as they stare at Uzuki's knocked out body, her pulse slowing and her screams changing to sighs and finally to the sound of heavy breathing. Mitsuhiro drops the syringe from his hand, and wipes the sweat from his forehead.

"One of Shuto's drugs?" Link asks him.

He throws the syringe to the other side of the room, not wanting to look at it. "Yeah," he says.

Link takes off his hat and rustles his hair, continuing to watch over Uzuki. "How long will she be like that?"

"Probably an hour or two, at most," Mitsuhiro replies. "I wish that the drug could heal her though. Whatever it is that's wrong, I doubt there's an antidote."

"What was that?" Link asks. "She just seemed a little exhausted . . . I thought it was extreme blood loss, but that . . ."

"They may have put something in her body," Mitsuhiro says coldly. "True, they could have been taking her blood out – in one of the tubes. One tube may have been used to take out blood and the other to put in some sort of chemical or drug to make her body react like that."

Link rests his head in hands. "Why would they do it to her though?"

Mitsuhiro shakes his head this time. "I don't know. But we have to keep her safe."

Link gets up from the floor and heads towards the hospital exit. "I have to go find Zelda. She contacted me a while ago; she says she's got the Assassins to back us up in case we need it."

Mitsuhiro rubs Uzuki's forehead. "Alright. Get them ready for when we drop in to catch that person from the Society."

"We'll wait for Shuto's signal," Link says. "He's the one leading this plan, after all." Then he gives a final wave to Mitsuhiro before leaving the hospital, closing the door behind him and bursting into a run down the paved streets of Hyrule.

Mitsuhiro continues to stare at Uzuki, her body rising and falling from her breathing, and her face appearing younger with her sleeping face. He rests his forehead against hers, and shakes his head again.

"Why can't they just give us a break . . .?" he sighs. Then he quietly laughs to himself, before leaning in closer to Uzuki's warm skin and placing a gentle kiss on her lips. When he pulls away, he notices the black lines creeping up her neck. His eyebrows lower in puzzlement as he pushes the long ends of her hair away, so that he can see where the markings continue down underneath her shirt. He follows them, pulling the sleeve of her right arm off and following the markings as they go all the way down to her elbow. Then he sees where the markings meet, up on her shoulder, in a black 'X' that looks like it's been splotched on with paint. His body goes tense as he stares at the familiar mark, sweat forming on his forehead again and his fingers beginning to tremble.

_No . . .!_ he thinks to himself. _No, that's not possible . . . it's just one of her pen tattoos. It's just one of her pen tattoo_s . . . he tells himself over and over again as he lifts her sleeve back up to its original position and sits back up on the bed again. Then he looks back at Uzuki's face, and feels his face heat up in panic.

_I hope to the Goddess Din it's just one of her pen tattoos. _

**Chapter 22 (continued)**

"Where the hell are those sound discs?" I yell to myself as I sweep all the books off my desk and onto the floor with my arms. Kurenai watches me from the door as I rip my room apart, trying to find the last part of my plan.

"Are you alright?" Kurenai asks with a gaze of concern. "What are you looking for?"

I look at Kurenai with a distressed look. "Um, they're round. And small. About the size of my palm." I point to my hand and draw a circle around my palm with my finger to show her the size.

Kurenai walks inside the room, and the first place she looks is behind the door.

"Found them," she says.

"What?" I exclaim as I rush to where Kurenai is pointing behind my bedroom door. She lifts up one of my sweaters, revealing the six discs that are hiding underneath. Without thinking, I grab Kurenai and pull her into a tight hug, spinning her around before setting her back on the floor again.

"Thank you!" I sigh happily as I pick up the discs and stuff them into my bag.

"Where are you going?" she asks as I head down the hallway.

"Yashiro's been kidnapped . . . uh, the girl who can punch through walls!" I yell, aware of the fact that Kurenai doesn't know any of our members besides Link.

"I know who Yashiro is," Kurenai sighs in an irritated tone. "And I know about her getting kidnapped."

I stop before I can make it to the door. "You do?" I ask, shooting her a look of wonder.

She looks away from me. Is she regretting what she said?

"I, um . . . I saw it," she says. Then she stares at me, and I see her eyes for the first time. They're completely white, like the eyes that would belong to a blind person, but she's obviously not blind; she found my discs in less than a few seconds.

"You saw it?" I ask her.

She lowers her head in an ashamed way. "I can, um . . . I can see the future."

Oh.

Well.

"You can see the future?" I ask her.

"Y-Yes . . ."

There's silence between us for a moment. An Angel who can see the future . . . it would have been nice to know that sooner, but this is also the first time I've seen Kurenai on her feet. Even after her wounds healed, she mostly just slept the day away. I don't blame her – her parents died and her entire kingdom burned down. It's completely natural to be depressed over that.

"So, you saw Yashiro getting kidnapped?" I ask her.

"Well, yes, but not until about a few hours before it happened . . . I would have warned you, but you were all gone, so I had no way to tell you . . ."

I don't blame her for that either. The only time we're at the house is when we come home for scouting, and we usually just work on battle plans, which Kurenai and Matsuda are not a part of.

I head towards the closet in the hallway and pull it open, digging past Uzuki's secret stash of vodka coolers, whiskey, and moonshine (which is really not so secret considering it's in the closet – she's really got to find a better place to hide her booze) until I find the spare C.T. crystal we have lying around. When I get it out of the closet, I toss it to Kurenai.

"If something else comes up, tell us right away, alright?" I tell her. She looks at the crystal, and then shakes her head in doubt.

"I . . . I don't know . . . the things I see aren't always accurate, and if they are, things can still change . . ." she whispers. "I'll try my best, but I . . . I'm not too confident."

I bend down and place my hands on her shoulders before smiling at her. "Hey, don't worry about it, alright? You have an extraordinary gift. And we're here to take care of you, alright?"

She stares back at me with her milky white eyes, and then nods, a cute little smile growing on her face.

"Alright," I repeat before standing up again and heading to the door.

"Can I . . . can I come with you?" she asks me.

She wants to come with me. To fight with Reapers? Not a good idea, even if she's healed.

"I don't think that's a good idea," I tell her. "You'll be safer here. We're going to be fighting some pretty scary guys."

Kurenai looks to her feet reluctantly, an ashamed look crossing her face.

"I'm sorry, but I . . . I don't like having to be stuck here all the time . . . it's lonely," she says quietly, her hands clasping together. "And I . . . I want to go back to the Realm of Light . . . I don't like it here in the Dark Realm . . ."

Another thing that I don't blame her for. It was hard enough for Link to adapt to this place when he first came here; for an Angel, it must be pure hell.

"You won't be any safer in the Realm of Light," I object, still not completely positive on the idea of bringing her along. "Look, when we come back, I _promise _you, I'll take you back to the Realm of Light for a while, okay?"

She hesitates, but then sadly nods. "A-Alright," she sighs.

I smile at her one more time before I open the door and leave the house, being sure to lock the door behind me and hide the key back inside the lantern that hangs outside the door. Then I open a shadow portal and step inside, reappearing in the Realm of Light again, in my human form.

I stand there silently for a few moments, with the megaphones by my side and the sound discs in my bag, staring up at the empty wooden house, its door hanging off its hinges and its windows yellow and smashed. This plan should work, but I can't guarantee myself how safe it will be. Even I haven't meddled with the effects of what will happen if this plan works. I could die. But at least I will have saved Yashiro. She deserves to live more than I do. Sure, it's not a very good way to go, but I can at least depend on Yashiro to live a good life for me.

I take a deep breath before taking out the letter that I had written to Yashiro. It's kind of a cheesy thing, really, but it at least tells her how I feel about her.

I know that I can trust Link to give it to her if I don't make it out alive.

**A Short Interlude**

Uzuki wearily opens her eyes again, the light from around her forcing her to squint and try to make out the figure standing over her.

"M . . . Mitsuhiro . . . ?" she yawns after her vision becomes a bit clearer.

He reaches his hand out and strokes her face with a gentle smile. "How are you feeling?" he asks her softly, his voice music to Uzuki's ears.

"I'm . . . I don't know," she sighs. "I feel alright, I guess."

"Are you sure?" he asks cautiously. "You had some kind of . . . weird seizure earlier."

Uzuki sits herself up against her pillow. "Did I? Huh. I don't remember."

"Probably not. We had to knock you out with one of Shuto's drugs. We were lucky you didn't die in your sleep."

Uzuki stares at her hand, clenching it together and releasing it again. "How long was I out?"

"Hmm, not long. I thought you were going to be out for at least an hour, but you've only been asleep for about thirty minutes."

The only words that come out of Uzuki's mouth are, "Oh."

Mitsuhiro gets up from his chair and grabs his jacket, where its hanging on the bedpost of Uzuki's bed, and zippers it up after putting himself inside it.

"Are you sure you're feeling alright?" he asks Uzuki a second time.

Uzuki looks up at him. "I think so."

He tosses a kunai holster onto her lap. "Then we'll leave soon. The Society has made a move; they've kidnapped Yashiro, apparently."

Uzuki rolls her eyes. "It's always Yashiro . . ." she grumbles under her breath before throwing off her blanket and getting up from the bed, stretching her arms and legs out to the air as she lets out a long yawn.

"Shall we head out then?" she asks Mitsuhiro as she ties the holster she had been given onto her belt. He smiles at her before leading her out of the hospital bedroom, and out into the fresh, yet heavy air of Castle Town.

And as they're walking down the street, Mitsuhiro keeps his eyes discreetly glued to the black markings that are creeping up Uzuki's neck.

**Chapter 22 (continued)**

What a place for the Reapers to use for a ransom meeting. The house is small and very dark inside. I can see the dust that's gathered everywhere, on the furniture, in the cracks of the wood, and on the windowsills. Some of the windows are shattered, some cracked. A few of the wooden beams that keep this house together are completely broken, but somehow the house manages to stay intact anyways.

I make my way through the little house, the wood creaking softly from beneath my feet and my breathing loud amongst the silence of this building, despite how hard I'm trying to stay quiet. When I make it to what I think is the living room, I stop to check the time on my C.T. crystal; it's three o'clock now. Staying here seems like a better idea, until the Reaper decides to show up.

I sit down cross-legged on the wood floor, drawing circles in the wood with my finger as I look around the completely abandoned room. It looks like it would have been a rather quaint room when it was still being used. There's a large window on one side of the room, much like the window that's back at our own home in the Dark Realm. A fireplace rests on another wall, the wood inside it rotting away, completely unused. There's a set of stairs opposite of the window, but they've been broken and it looks like they're completely useless now. And then, right next to the window, is a beautiful, sleek, black grand piano, its keys slightly yellowed and the wood of the instrument cracked near the legs.

I get up from my feet and I walk over to the piano, sitting myself down on the rickety old bench and grazing my fingers along the surface of the keys. Then I play a note. I'm not a pianist, not like Uzuki or Link, but music is like second nature to me. When I play the notes, I realize that they're all surprisingly still in tune; not a single one of them sounds warped or cracked. I start to experiment with the notes, playing a few chords and a few scales that I'm pretty sure I'm playing right. The instrument still sounds so magnificent, so beautiful . . . If I make it out of here alive, I'll have to get Uzuki to teach me how to play piano.

"You shouldn't play that," a voice sneers at me. I look straight up to see Fara sitting on one of the wooden beams of the ceiling, her legs hanging down. "It makes too much noise."

I get up from the bench and glare up at her. "It's a shame . . . you just don't know how to appreciate such amazing music."

"I'd appreciate it, if you actually knew how to play it," she spits. "That piano belonged to someone who played wondrous music. The way her fingers flew across the keys, you'd think she wasn't in control of them at all."

"Is that so?" I ask her. "That's quite interesting. What happened to the girl? And this house?"

"The girl died," she says. "Her family moved away shortly after. She had three younger siblings who lived with her and her parents. After the family left, nobody moved back into this house. And unfortunately, when they moved, they had to leave the piano behind. They didn't want to bring along memories of their dead daughter, you see."

"The girl became a Reaper. And then she defied the Society," Fara sneers as she stands up to her feet on the beam, holding her hand out into mid-air. A shadow portal begins to grow in front of her hand, and from it, a tied-up Yashiro appears. "Now, she's a wanted criminal. She's also one of the most dangerous women in the Society; she's holding a demon that she stole from us, and she refuses to give it back."

"A demon?" I ask, trying not to look at Yashiro's panicked face; I know that if I do, I'll have a breakdown, and I'll never be able to pull off this plan.

"She took the Kyodai no Akuma," she says. "You have stolen a very important demon from us as well, Shuto Kaniji. We think it's time you gave it back."

Fara leaps off the beam with Yashiro gripped under her arm, and before she hits the ground, she's already in her Reaper form.

**A Short Interlude**

Kurenai Kai creeps down the stairs of the house, watching the woman who's cornering Shuto, and soon looking at Yashiro, her body tied up and held underneath the woman's arm like a burlap sack.

_Shuto . . ._ Kurenai thinks to herself. Her white eyes widen as thoughts soon start to play through her mind, each one an image of something to come.

_Don't do anything stupid!_ she thinks angrily to herself when she sees the image of him sprawled on the kitchen floor, a pool of blood underneath his head. _Sacrificing yourself isn't going to do anyone any good at all . . . _

Kurenai shakes her head in regret as she gently climbs back up the stairs and into one of the bedrooms. The room is covered in papers, each one with either a drawing or just notes written on it, and a lot of them are nailed to the walls. There is no bed, or dresser, or anything for that matter. The room is simply filled with hundreds of papers, some scattered on the floor, and others nailed to the ceiling and walls like some kind of magic circle. And a lot of the drawings on the walls have nothing but circles drawn on them, with X's crossed through in a messy way. When she looks up to the ceiling, she sees the much larger piece of paper that's nailed up there, a huge crossed out circle drawn in the center of it.

_The person who lived here . . . must have led a very sad life,_ Kurenai thinks to herself woefully as she sits down on the floor and curls up in the corner of the room.

Then she starts to calm herself with slow breathes, trying not to pay attention to the hand drawn eyes that are watching her all around the room.

**Chapter 22 (continued)**

It's Ixion Kobayashi, the captain of the fifth division in the Society. I can tell her apart from her sister because her hair is a lot shorter, but her bangs are quite long.

She sets Yashiro down near the fireplace, and starts to approach me as a hammer appears from another shadow portal, landing in her hands. She lifts the huge hammer above her shoulders. Both ends of the hammer are obviously made of stone, and one end has a pick at the end that's sharpened to a very intricate point. She keeps the hammer casually held over her shoulders as she continues to approach me. Then, as she switches the handle of the hammer to her right hand, she holds out her left hand to me.

"Now, the Time Gate," she says, her eyes firm from behind her long, dark purple bangs. "If you don't give it to me . . ." She holds the sharp end of the hammer straight to Yashiro's neck, ". . . I'll kill the girl."

I hold both my hands out to stop her. "No, don't . . . I have the Time Gate." I reach into my lab coat and I pull out the Time Gate. I stare at its black cover as I slowly hand it to Fara. When it's in her hand, she smiles evilly, and then presses the tip of her hammer deeper into Yashiro's skin. Yashiro lets out a muffled cry from behind the tape on her mouth, and then I watch as the blood trails down her neck like a teardrop.

"You . . .!" I hiss. "You said you just needed the Time Gate! Now let her go!"

Fara tilts her head to the side, keeping that cruel smile on her face. "Did I? Hmm. Well, I must have forgotten to add in another little ransom."

She takes the hammer away from Yashiro and holds it straight at me.

"I want the Sairento no Akuma, Shuto Kaniji," she says with a clear, horrific tone, her eyes dancing with pure malice.

"W-What?" I stammer as I back away from the weapon that's now being held to my throat. "I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Stop lying to me, Kaniji!" she demands as she walks closer and closer to me. "You've been hiding that demon from the Society for far too long now! It's time you gave it back to us!"

"I really don't know what you're talking about!" I keep backing away from her, slipping my hand into my pocket and pushing a kunai inside my sleeve while it's there, hiding it from the woman's view.

Ixion suddenly rears her hammer back and lets it fall right above me, the flat, hammer-end facing downwards at me. I leap out of the way before it can hit, the hammer creating a huge blast in the floor and breaking apart the floorboards. She lifts her hammer back up and leaps over the crater in the floor, heading towards me again. I back up through the kitchen, and soon I'm on one end of the kitchen table, and she's on the other.

She rears her hammer back again, but instead of lifting the hammer side, she swings the side with the pick like a scythe. I bring my hands up to block, but instead, a huge blast of sound explodes from my palms and pushes the table away from me, catapulting it straight into the woman and knocking her back into the living room.

I look down at my hands in shock. I'm not in my Reaper form. And I'm not wearing my sound amplifier suit. So how did I do that?

I have no time to think about it now. Fara – Ixion – is already back on her feet. I take the chance to grab the megaphones from the porch, where I had left them, and I set them parallel to each other on the kitchen floor. Then I rip out a few of my sound discs, sticking an even number of them against the wall that's behind the megaphones. I can't get them all out and set up before Ixion is back in the kitchen. I pull out my flute from its spot on my back and I use it like a club to fend her off. But as I'm using my flute (note: not the way it's supposed to be used) to keep Xixion away, I start to feel a strange energy resonate through my palms, like little waves of heat.

As if I couldn't focus enough on what I'm doing, the scream comes back, louder than ever.

"Oh, shut up!" I scream back. Xixion thrusts the flat side of her hammer's handle towards me, and I hold it off with my flute, both of our weapons pressing hard against each other as we try to push the other over. I can feel my arms start to tremble, and I already know that I'm probably going to be the one to drop my guard against Ixion's gigantic hammer.

Eventually, I'm forced to let go, and all the pressure of Ixion's hammer pushes me back into the door. A wild smile flashes across Ixion's face as she raises her hammer into the air.

I bring my arms up to guard again, and I whisper a silent prayer to myself while I wait for the Reaper's hammer to come down and destroy me. A scream escapes my lips as I slam my eyes shut, my scream resonating with the scream that's replaying through my mind.

I wait.

But there's no impact. I don't feel my entire body being squashed. I hesitantly open my eyes and lower my arms, only to see that Ixion is in the living room again, trying to get back to her feet with not a lot of success.

How is this happening? I want to sit here and think about it, but the voice is screaming in my head, in an almost encouraging way, like it's begging me to get up and finish my plan. I frantically get to my feet and start to work on the machine again, but I'm so terrified out of my mind right now that it's hard to keep my hands from shaking so much. I know that right now, I have no time to make mistakes. I look at my flute at one point while I'm working; I can definitely say that it's seen better days.

When I've finally gotten the last sound disc set up, I look up to see Ixion stumbling around in the living room, hitting her ear with the palm of her hand.

"Dammit . . ." she cries under her breath, her head held low. Then she snaps her head up with the most spiteful look she's given me all day. "You bastard! You destroyed my ear! I can't hear a damn thing now!" She kicks her hammer aside as she charges at me without it. "That demon is mine!" She's much faster without her hammer weighing her down, but because of her left eardrum, she can't stay in a straight line and she constantly stumbles on her feet.

I smile before I attach the last wire to the machine. Then I flip the switch, and what I consider to be pure music to my ears blasts from the speakers of the megaphones.

* * *

_Dear Yashiro,_

_Wow, a sappy love letter. I bet you'd never thought you'd get one of these things, huh? I guess you're not really the type of person who would like love letters either. But it's really the only way for me to get my feelings across. You know me, I'm not a very good talker, unless I'm really in the moment, but I don't think this is something I want to say to you face-to-face; I think I'd rather __keep__ my face, so that's why I'm going to tell you this through a letter . . . I'm not trying to insult you either, of course. _

_Well, here goes. Yashiro Takahashi, I think you are the most beautiful girl I've ever laid eyes on. Your goofy smile, your flowing black hair, your small hands, your eyes that light up the room when you walk in . . . I have no idea how I was lucky enough to meet such an amazing girl like you. Everything you do just makes me like you more, even when you're being violent. I know that it's probably not a good idea to get too attached to the Time Keepers, considering we could die at any moment, but you give me a reason to fight. I'll never back down as long as I have you to protect._

_So, I'm going to say it._

_Yashiro Takahashi._

_I love you._

_I don't care what you think about me, whether you think this letter is sweet or totally corny, but I just wanted to tell you that before I lost the courage to. _

_There, I said it. _

_-Shuto Kaniji_

* * *

**An Interlude**

"Is this the house?"

Uzuki, Mitsuhiro, Link, Zelda, and the Assassins look up at the old, ruined house.

"Yeah," Link replies. "But it looks a lot more . . . worn-out than it did a few months ago."

"The roof is destroyed too," Zelda points out.

Link looks up at the huge gaping hole in the tiled roof. "Huh."

"I have a bad feeling about this," Higashizawa mumbles as he walks up next to Link.

"Me too," Link says. "Shuto never gave us the signal, but . . . something tells me it's not for a good reason."

Link leads the group inside the aged house, each one of them walking inside single file.

The moment Link steps inside the first room of the house, the kitchen, his foot hits Shuto's flute. It's dented right near the head. And just a few feet away from the flute lays Shuto, completely unconscious.

"Shuto!" Link calls as he runs to his friend's aid. A pool of blood has collected underneath his face, all of the blood draining from his ears.

"What do you think happened here?" Makoto asks as he walks inside. "Shuto looks like he wasn't even hit with a physical weapon."

Link rolls Shuto over and stares into his eyes, trying to find any wounds. "You're right. All the blood is coming out of his head . . ."

Mimi walks ahead, past the crater in the doorway that leads to the living room, and gasps. "Hey, I think I found Yashiro!" she calls out to the rest of the group. Everyone except Link and Higashizawa head into the living room, where Yashiro is huddled up in the corner of the room, her head tucked in between her legs and her chest and her body trembling without any sign of stopping. And sitting next to Yashiro is Kurenai, not seeming to notice the group of people that has arrived.

"Yashiro!" Uzuki says as she tries to get her friend to look at her. Then she looks at Kurenai. "What are you doing here, Kurenai? We told you to stay at the house!"

She shakes her head, her skin crawling with fear. "I know, I'm sorry . . . but I just didn't want to sit by and watch Shuto get hurt. He . . . he used some kind of strange device that amplified sound . . . the only reason that Yashiro is alive right now is because I used some protective magic. I couldn't use it on Shuto though . . ." Her voice changes to a whisper as tears begin to form in her white eyes. "He was in the other room!" she chokes. "I couldn't get to him in time . . .!"

Uzuki rubs the Angel's head, and nods. "It's okay. You were here to help Yashiro. Thank you." Then she stands up and shoves her hands into her pockets. "Makoto, Mimi, keep an eye on these two. Victoria, go see if you can find the Reaper's body. Mikoshi, Taishou . . ."

Uzuki's brothers raise their heads to look at her with intent eyes.

". . . Keep watch," she mumbles as she walks past them and towards the kitchen, shuffling through debris and dust.

When she's in the kitchen, Link is trying to wake Shuto up, and Higashizawa is fiddling with the destroyed megaphones that are sitting near the doorway.

"I told him to take care of these things," Higashizawa grumbles. "But no, he had to go and have them surpass their sound capabilities, and now they're fried . . ."

"Higashizawa, there are bigger things to worry about," Link mutters back as he clenches Shuto's wrist in his hand, checking for a pulse.

"I can make you another pair of megaphones later," Uzuki offers as she sits down next to Link. "Is Shuto alright?"

"I don't know . . ." Link sighs. "I can feel his pulse, but it's really off-track, and he won't respond when I call his name. . . Shuto!" he calls, right next to the boy's ear. "Shuto!" Then he groans in defeat and shakes his head. "Do you have any water, Uzuki?"

Uzuki reaches into her bag, but can only find a bottle of vodka.

"This is all I have," she replies.

Link looks at her with a begging, childish look. "Do you think you can let go of it for now? I can get you another one, if you like."

Uzuki pulls out a second bottle of vodka. "I brought an extra one, Link." Then she passes him the first bottle. "Knock yourself out."

Link snickers at her, thinking that she's confused with what he's going to do with it. He pries the top off the bottle and then splashes the alcoholic drink right in Shuto's face.

"Hey, don't waste it though!" Uzuki yells when she sees the vodka hit Shuto's skin.

Shuto's eyes snap open, but he doesn't get up. He stares straight up at the ceiling.

"H-Huh . . .?" he yelps, his eyes widening in surprise, but he stays on the floor. He lifts his hands and looks at them, and then blinks.

"HEY!" he screams.

Link and Uzuki jump at his sudden volume.

"Not so loud, buddy!" Link exclaims. "You're fine!"

"HELP ME!" Shuto screams at the top of his lungs, his hands scratching at the ground frantically like a cat getting dragged against its will.

"Shuto, it's alright!" Link says as he grabs Shuto's hands.

But Shuto continues to scream, even as the rest of the group comes out of the living room to see what's going on.

"What's all the commotion?" Makoto growls.

"Something's wrong," Link says worriedly as he stares into Shuto's eyes. He grabs Shuto's face so that he'll focus on him. "Shuto," he says very clearly. "Can you hear me?"

"HELP!" Shuto shrieks.

"Shuto, just calm down, alright?"

"I CAN'T HEAR YOU!"

Link goes pale, but continues to try and calm Shuto.

"You can't hear anything?" he asks him.

"HELP ME!"

"Link, I don't think he can even hear you talking," Uzuki says as she reaches into her bag and pulls out her little notebook and a black pen. She begins to write down words on the paper, and then passes the notebook to Link.

Link reads over the words, and then faces the notebook towards Shuto.

"Here, Shuto, just read this," Link urges him as he squeezes Shuto's hand.

Shuto stops screaming for a moment to read the words.

_Can you hear me?_

Then he shakes his head.

"NO!"

"He can't hear us speak then," Link says as he hands the notebook back to Uzuki. "And he obviously can't hear himself either."

Uzuki writes something else down on the notebook, and then passes it back to Link. Link holds it to Shuto.

_Can you stand up? _

Shuto frantically shakes his head, and grasps his face with his hands. "GET ME OUT OF HERE!" he cries.

"Okay, buddy, we'll get you out," Link says soothingly as he proceeds to lift Shuto up off the floor.

Mitsuhiro steps forward. "I'll take him, Link. Go find the Reaper."

Link places Shuto over Mitsuhiro's arms. Mitsuhiro nods at Link and then turns around, heading out of the house.

Link turns to the rest of the group. "Have you found the Reaper yet?" he asks them.

"I haven't found her," Victoria says. Link walks past her and into the living room, trying to locate the Reaper among the rubble. He looks up at the hole that's in the roof, right above the living room. Then he looks down at the pile of wooden beams that fell from the ceiling. He sees a hand. Without wasting a second, Link lifts the heavy beams off the person underneath them, revealing the short-haired Ixion, her body crushed, but her eyes still showing signs of life.

"Oh . . . it's you . . ." she coughs as she tries to move her fingers. "If you want to finish me off, now's your chance . . . I can't hear a damn thing out of my left ear and my body's completely useless thanks to your damn Time Keeper."

Link stares at her eyes, and smiles before taking out a kunai. "I'm sorry, Fara."

A small smirk tugs at Ixion's lips. "How did you know?" she murmurs.

Link shrugs his shoulders. "Your eyes. They're the same in your Reaper form as they are in your human."

"Hmm," Ixion sighs.

"How are you feeling?" Link asks her.

Ixion lets out another sigh, and attempts a weak smile. " . . . Meh."

A small laugh escapes from Link's lips, a smile growing on his face as well, and his face heating up in sadness. Then he rubs Ixion's head.

"Goodbye, Ixion Fara Kobayashi . . ." he whispers.

Then he brings the kunai up and slices it through her neck.


	23. The Redhead Martial Artist

**Time Gate: The Adult Chapters **

**A Short Interlude**

"I read that letter, you know."

Shuto looks at Yashiro, his face red with embarrassment. "Y-You did?" he stammers.

She nods, and then smiles. "I didn't know you felt that way about me."

Shuto swallows, and bites his lip. "Um, y-yeah . . . I really do, Yashiro-chan . . ."

Yashiro laughs, her smile growing wider. "You really aren't good with talking about your feelings, are you?" she giggles.

Shuto sighs in defeat and lowers his head in humiliation. "Listen, Yashiro, I . . . I really do like you, but I . . . I'm not good at talking about these kinds of things."

"I can tell," Yashiro snickers as she moves closer to him, sliding across the outer rim of the fountain. "But I . . . I can't really answer to that right away, you know."

Shuto nods. "I understand. Even if you say no, I just wanted you to know how I feel."

Yashiro rubs his hand, and rests her head on his shoulder. "We'll see, alright? Let's just try and get this shit over with first."

Shuto laughs, and smiles at her. "Alright," he says. Yashiro gives him one of her big, goofy grins before leaning forward and kissing his cheek.

**Chapter 23: The Redhead Martial Artist**

I spread around the ashes that were once Fara's body, merging them with the dust and rubble around us.

"I hate having to burn bodies," I grumble as I rub the black ash off his hands. "It just seems too gruesome to me."

"I know you don't like it, but it will prevent anyone from finding her body," Mitsuhiro sighs as he sits down on the surface of the kitchen table, its legs surprisingly still sturdy underneath his weight. "Not to mention it'll prevent any of those Society freaks from trying to bring her back to life. The researchers there can manage crap like that, even if the person was a Reaper and already dead to begin with."

It's a good precaution. But it's the victims I feel sorry for. They can't be buried properly, like everybody else; instead, they're completely burned alive, their body transforming into nothing but black, dirty mess. And Mitsuhiro is right about the 'bringing them back to life' thing too. All of the researchers at the Society – and I'm really stressing Ikkashi of Iwata's squad with this one – are virtually insane and have too much time on their hands to do the freakiest shit whenever they can. I remember when I was younger and Mitsuhiro showed me a picture from the newspaper of a failed experiment of the Society's. They actually tried to _merge _six bodies together – either Reaper or human, it was very hard to tell by the picture – in the hopes to make some kind of human caterpillar or something. When I saw the picture, I ended up getting so grossed out that I threw up. Mitsuhiro seemed completely unscathed from that picture, but I couldn't look at it for another week without getting sick to my stomach.

I hear a sad song echoing from the living room.

"Uzuki, you've been playing that piano for the past thirty minutes," I mutter, looking into the living room where Uzuki is sitting on the piano bench, having some kind of reminiscent meltdown over the grand piano. "Are you alright?"

She continues to play the song, keeping her eyes, hidden beneath her glasses, focused on the old, yellowed keys.

"It's a nice piano," she simply says. "These pianos are worth a lot; their sound is unrivalled among the rest of the pianos that are made these days."

Mitsuhiro's mouth lifts into a slight smile, but nothing more.

"We should be heading out," I tell them. "It's been two days since we killed Fara; the Society is probably going to start showing up here soon. We'd better leave before they get here."

Mitsuhiro slides off the table, and grabs his jacket where he set it on the back of a chair. "I can't imagine what's happening with the Society right now," he mumbles. "Ixion Kobayashi – Fara – was Xixion Kobayashi's sister. Those two were really close. When Xixion finds out that her sister was killed, she'll be pissed. And Xixion is actually the one with the bad temper, not Ixion."

"I've only really met Xixion," I tell him. "I may have known Fara, but Ixion and Fara are still two completely different people. I never got to know the other sister."

"It's a good thing you didn't," says Mitsuhiro before he starts to nudge me out the door. "We don't need to be making friends with the Society, you hear?"

"I dunno, that red-haired dude seemed pretty nice."

"Saru is still a jackass, regardless of his personality."

I let out a sigh before I step out into the brisk winter air. From underneath the thin layers of snow, I can see green grass starting to show its face, peeking up from underneath the white blankets that cover the town. It's night time, and a crescent moon has raised high into the dark-blue winter sky, the stars twinkling like the eyes of little people watching us from above. It's February now. As of today, our mission at the Academy is officially over. It means that we've been doing this mission for six months now; half a year. It's the longest mission we've ever done, if you don't count our general 'defeat the Society' goal as a mission.

If our 'defeat the Society' goal _does _count as a mission, then I sure hope it ends soon.

**A Short Interlude**

Mitsuhiro places a gentle hand on Uzuki's shoulder.

"You're not going to tell him that this place used to be your house?" he asks Uzuki as her hands immediately stop overtop the keys, gently falling onto her lap, and then tightening into fists.

"No," she says instantly. "There's no gain if he knows about this house."

"Where did your family head off to?"

"Who knows," Uzuki mumbles, her eyebrows lowering in anger. "Who cares? It's not like I wanted to stay with them. Shuto told me that Chiyo's been kidnapped by the Society, but I don't believe it. Something tells me Chiyo just got up and left. It wouldn't surprise me at all."

"Must you hate your parents so?" Mitsuhiro chuckles before rubbing her head.

She glares at him, her eyes completely vicious from behind her red-tinted glasses.

"Of course. I was the one that killed them, after all."

**Chapter 23 (continued)**

I'm already halfway down the alleyway before Mitsuhiro and Uzuki show up. For whatever reason they stayed back is completely their business; whether it's unfinished business or Uzuki and Mitsuhiro just wanting to spend a few seconds together. I'm completely fine with whatever reason they give me.

When they show up, Uzuki looks like she just had one of her depressing spells. She tends to get those from time to time, and when she does, it's really just best for the rest of us to stay out of her way. The only things that can coax her out of it are alcohol and Mitsuhiro. Yashiro tried to cheer her up one time, but that ended very badly. It makes me question further as to whether Uzuki and Yashiro are good friends or not.

Mitsuhiro is clearly trying to cheer Uzuki up right now, but it doesn't seem like he's trying as hard as usual to do so. It could be something that's a personal problem and he just knows that he shouldn't poke in her business. But there's obviously something between those two that they know and I don't. I just hope it's one of those things that aren't going to bite me later. If it is, they'd better tell me right now, or I'm going to be pretty mad later when their secret bites me.

"So we should probably go find Yashiro and Shuto, huh?" I ask the two to break the silence.

"They said they'd meet us in the center of town," Mitsuhiro mutters without batting an eye.

Okay. That ends that conversation starter.

". . . So, uh, it's pretty good to be out of the Academy, huh?"

"Mm-hmm."

And there goes _that _conversation too.

". . . Why do you think Saru let me go back at the school?"

"He was never a Reaper who liked working for the Society. It's as simple as that."

Ugh. This is like talking to a brick wall.

Uzuki suddenly stops walking, forcing us to stop as well.

"Uzuki, what is it?"

Uzuki lets out a breath, the smoky, white oxygen visible from the cold temperature. She crosses her arms and stares up at the dark sky, the lenses of her glasses foggy from the chilly air.

"We forgot to do something," she sighs worriedly as she wipes the growing fog from her glasses.

"What?" I ask, a wave of panic rushing through my head. What did we forget?

"Shiyoru," Uzuki mutters. "And Sadik. Remember? Apparently Shiyoru is from the Society and deceiving Sadik. Shouldn't we warn her?"

"We can't prove that though," Mitsuhiro objects. "It was just a theory from Rei."

"Still . . . I think we should find Sadik before we leave."

"If it would make you feel better with yourself, then sure," Mitsuhiro says. "We've got plenty of time to kill right now."

I nod in agreement with Mitsuhiro before wrapping my arms around myself, continuously rubbing my arms to get the blood flowing. The first signs of spring may be starting to show, but it's still as cold as death here. The winters in Hyrule are always the coldest. Even the winters in Snowhead up in Termina don't amount to the winters in Hyrule. And today is considerably cold as well, much colder than any of the days before.

When we make it to the center of Hyrule Castle Town, we find Shuto and Yashiro sitting on the fountain, both of them wrapped up in jackets and scarfs.

"Hey, you two," Mitsuhiro greets when we make it past the crowds and up to the fountain. "Been waiting long?"

Shuto turns to us after Yashiro taps him on the leg to get his attention. She mouths the words that Mitsuhiro said a few seconds earlier, very slowly so that he can tell.

"No, just a few minutes," Shuto replies.

"How's Kurenai back at the house?" Mitsuhiro says slowly.

"She's fine, despite what she did," he says. "It's amazing, really. But I have to say, I was lucky she was there. If Yashiro got caught in my trap, well, she'd be in the situation as me." He taps his ears jokingly with a smile.

That's right. In his human form, Shuto is now deaf. Because of that trap he made, he can't hear anything out of his ears anymore. Now when we talk to him we have to mouth our words slowly so he can read our lips, or at least write things out for him. Rei Ryuga offered to teach us sign language if we needed it, so that we can communicate back and forth. Although, I just told him that we'd keep Shuto in his Reaper form so that he can hear. But Shuto said that just for today he would stay in his human form. I think it has something to do with his confession of love to Yashiro. I found the letter in his robe pocket while he was unconscious, and gave it to Yashiro after reading through it myself. Personally, I think it's a little _scary _that Shuto likes Yashiro. She's definitely not the first girl I'd spring for. But Shuto obviously has his own taste. And I'm still happy for the both of them.

"Uzuki's feeling a little uneasy about the situation between Shiyoru and Sadik," Mitsuhiro says, mostly to Yashiro. "So Uzuki, Link and I are going to go check to see if Sadik's okay. Do you want to head back to the house or come with us?"

Yashiro looks at Shuto.

"Do you want to go with Link?" she asks him first, pointing at me. "Or back to the house?" She draws a big circle with both her hands to indicate a shadow portal. She makes sure that her words are distinct so that he can easily read her lips.

He stops for a second, and then shrugs his shoulders. "I'll head back to the house. I'd like to check up on Matsuda and Kurenai. It must be hard for Kon and Miu to be watching over them all the time."

"So, you two will go back to the house then?" Mitsuhiro asks.

"Mm-hmm," Yashiro says with a nod. "Hey, Uzuki, while you're here, could you check to see if they sell any quesadilla chips anywhere?"

Uzuki groans, her eyes rolling from behind the dark lenses of her glasses. "Fine, but I'm telling you, they don't have any here!"

She pouts and crosses her arms. "It sucks that they sell those things in Termina but not Hyrule!" she groans. "It's called 'customer demand'!"

"It's called 'You're the only one that eats them'," Uzuki sneers as she ties another round of her scarf around her neck, creating another layer of warmth for her skin.

Yashiro sticks her tongue out at Uzuki before standing up from the fountain. She takes Shuto's hand, pulling him up from the stone rim of the fountain

"Stay safe, you two," I tell them, pointing a finger at Yashiro so that she knows I'm mostly talking to her. "We don't need anyone else getting kidnapped."

Yashiro makes a teasing, yet dirty look at him. "Come on, I'm in my Reaper form now. Cut me some slack, yeah? If anyone tries to kidnap me again, I'll just turn their face inside-out."

I give her a lively clap of encouragement. She holds her muscles up triumphantly, one of her wide smiles growing on her face, her eyes becoming fierce with a drive to fight. Uzuki, Mitsuhiro and I circle around Yashiro, facing outwards towards the crowd of people surrounding us in all directions. Then Yashiro gives us a thumbs-up before she grabs Shuto's hand. Then she and Shuto morph into the air and vanish from in between the three of us.

When we step out from our circle, Mitsuhiro immediately sighs.

"I have got to learn how to do that," he says with a smile.

"Yeah, and risk having your own body sucked into oblivion?" I tease before poking him in the belly.

"Hey, if Yashiro can do it, I think I can too," he snickers back.

"Oh, you're mean." Then the both of us burst into laughter. The only one who isn't laughing is Uzuki; she's too busy looking around, probably trying to find Sadik.

"So, where would Sadik be?" I ask her. "Is there any specific place she would go to?"

She shakes her head. "I can't think of any, but I know where someone who _would_ know is."

* * *

This bookshop is _really _old. I can tell the moment I walk in the door. There's a kind of dust floating around, the kind of dust that only gathers after a building or a house has been standing for a long time and has been neglected when it comes to being cleaned. But the shelves are still lined with books, and there are a few people here who are at the counter, with purses and wallets in their hands, so I can definitely tell that this place still gets its customers. Maybe the musty feeling is popular?

After the people who were here leave, Uzuki heads straight to the counter, where the cashier is now leaning back in his chair and immersing himself in some kind of fantasy fiction book. She knocks on the desk to get his attention. He looks up and smiles before leaning forward in his chair, back in its original position.

"Can I help you?" he asks her politely with a warm smile.

"I'm looking for Flint Mansel," she replies. "Does he still work here?"

"Well, that depends," he mutters before adjusting his glasses over his dark brown eyes. "What do you need him for? Is it about a book, or is it more of a personal matter?"

"Personal. _Very _personal."

"Mm-hmm, I see . . . _how _personal?" He winks at her.

Uzuki rolls her eyes and blows one of her bangs out from in front of her face. "Cut the bullshit, Flint. I know it's you."

He smiles at her again, this time more teasingly, before leaning back in his chair again.

"Well then, you shouldn't have asked for him if you already knew who he was," he snickers. He places a bookmark on the open page of his book before closing it and setting it down on the floor next to his chair. "Now, who are _you_?"

"I'll cut to the chase," she begins immediately before taking off her glasses so that she can stare at him with her black Reaper eyes. In fact, that's the first time I've seen Uzuki without her glasses on, but from where I'm standing, I can only see her bangs, so it doesn't make much of a difference. "I'm Uzuki Kasahara. The same Uzuki Kasahara who bought the book titled "Reaper", written anonymously, and died after getting hit by a car."

Flint doesn't say anything. He stares at her sternly, his glasses beginning to slide down the bridge of his nose.

"Go on," he urges her. Wow. He's not the least bit surprised.

"I recently found out from Sadik that she's actually a Reaper and has been one for fifty years now," Uzuki continues. "And you're a Reaper too now, apparently. You're friends with Shiyoru, correct?"

"That's right."

"Well, we have reason to believe she's a traitor. A man from the infamous Assassins told us, and he seems like someone we can trust. He claims to have seen her working in the Society with Xixion Kobayashi."

Flint takes his glasses off and gives her a cold stare. "Is this true?" he asks grimly.

She nods. "It's been rumoured. Do you know where Sadik would be right now? It would be nice to at least warn her."

Flint lifts up his book from the floor and sets it on the desk, where he probably should have set it in the first place.

"She's usually out observing the city . . . but at this time of night . . . well, she might be raiding a bar," he answers. "She's a fan of them vodka coolers now, you know."

"Yes, I'm aware of her sudden likeliness to the orange swirls," Uzuki snickers, picking up her glasses and putting them back up over her eyes. "There isn't any way for you to contact her, is there?"

Flint rubs his chin. "Well . . . the problem is she doesn't have one of those fancy crystal things." He points to the crystal that's tied around Uzuki's neck. "So we can't contact her that way. But Uzuki . . . could you track her with your aura-reading skills?"

"Hmm . . ." Uzuki mumbles. "I don't know . . . it's hard in a city like this. There are so many people here, and too many auras to get mixed up with."

"I don't think it would be easy to mix up Sadik's aura with anyone else's. It's a Reaper aura. And let's remember . . . this is _Sadik _we're talking about," he snickers. "You could pick her out in less than a second if you tried."

Uzuki shrugs her shoulders. "Well, I can try, but I think it would be easier if I could get up somewhere high."

Flint gets up from his chair and heads to the big window that's sitting next to the door. He points to the tower that's visible from the store. It looks like it's in the direction of Northern Castle Town – the center of the entire city.

"Up there?" he asks Uzuki.

Uzuki looks outside as well. "That looks like a good spot. But I can't guarantee I'll find her, alright? So don't get your hopes up."

Flint grabs his jacket where it's sitting on the counter, and puts it on before heading to the door. He gestures us out the door and says, "I'll come along. I'm worried about Sadik now. Shiyoru is trained in the martial arts; if those two end up in a fight, all hell will break loose."

All of us nodding in agreement, we follow him out the door, and he locks the shop after we're all outside. We're rather quick to make it to the vicinity of the area where the tower is located that Flint had pointed out; we're there in less than a few minutes. For us, it's a good thing that the crowds that are usually in Castle Town have died down, even just a little, enough for us to make it through quickly without getting caught up in a cluster of people trying to get to their own places.

I run up next to Uzuki, Mitsuhiro on the other side of her. Flint is just a few steps ahead of us, leading the way to the entry of the tower.

"Uzuki, are you alright?" Mitsuhiro suddenly asks Uzuki.

Uzuki turns her neck to look at him, and smiles. "I'm fine!"

"Link, does she look fine to you?" Mitsuhiro asks me now, taking his focus away from Uzuki and looking over to me. I start to look at Uzuki as well. She looks alright, but something seems . . . off. She's running awfully slow, and I can tell that she's starting to fall behind Flint. And for a dark-skinned girl, she's starting to look a little pale.

"I . . . I don't know. She looks a little pale, I guess," I mumble in reply.

"Uzuki, you're not feeling sick or anything, are you?" Mitsuhiro asks her.

Uzuki sneers at the both of us. "No, I'm telling you, I'm fine!"

With a doubtful sigh, Mitsuhiro shakes his head. "You're not fooling anyone, you know."

Uzuki doesn't pass him a second glance. The three of us focus on keeping up with Flint as we near the tower that overlooks the city, its form just a bit shorter than the towers that surround Hyrule Castle; if the castle wasn't on higher ground, this tower would be much taller.

Flint leads us around the tower to where the door is, and when we're inside, we make our way up the spiral of stairs that lead all the way to the top. Something tells me these stairs are going to be just like the ones in the Temple of Time – tiring, endless, and completely annoying. Flint stays in front as we form a single file line. Uzuki stays ahead of me, and Mitsuhiro goes in the back to guard our behinds. It's clear how old this tower is as the four of us are scaling its old wooden stairs. The walls are made with grey, stone bricks that have aged over time, crumbling near the corners and sides. And every second stair that I hit creaks loudly with an elderly cry. Whenever I see an odd window approach and pass me, I see that its glass has become yellow, some of the glass cracked, and other windows' glass deteriorating completely.

At the point that I'm sure this climb couldn't be any more irritating, we make it to the old cracked door at the top. We push each other out onto the balcony that circles the entire top section of the tower. The four of us spread out in all directions on the balcony, searching for any signs of Sadik and her disloyal friend.

Then I realize how hard it's going to be to locate Sadik for us, the ones that can't read auras like Uzuki can – it's dark as hell out here. Looking for her at night was probably not the best idea, but I guess it can't be helped at this point. There aren't even any stars in the sky, and the moon isn't full enough to brighten the area at all. And being up so high, the torches that are scattered through the town like confetti do little to aid our vision. Mitsuhiro never really took up aura-reading, and as far as I know, Flint can't do it either. I can aura-read, but not on such an advanced scale as Uzuki. When it comes down to it, aura-reading is another one of Uzuki's Reaper abilities. It's kind of her ability in a way Yashiro can teleport – anybody can do it, but there are only a few people who have the skill to master it to an extreme level.

"Damn, I don't see her anywhere . . ." Uzuki snarls from next to me, the pupils in her eyes growing from underneath her sunglasses. "Flint, do you see anything?"

Flint nervously shakes his head from where he's standing near Mitsuhiro, nearly on the other side of the balcony. "No, I don't – wait . . . I think I see her!"

Uzuki, Mitsuhiro and I scurry over to where Flint is leaning over the balcony's railing, peering out past the darkness to gaze upon the center of Hyrule Castle Town, just a few rooftops away from us.

"What's happening?" I ask Flint, still trying to locate exactly where Sadik is. Soon, I spot two female silhouettes – including Sadik's – standing across from each other in the center of town.

"I can see their auras now," Uzuki clarifies, brushing her bangs out from in front of her eyes; with those sunglasses, it doesn't seem to make much of a difference. "Shiyoru's aura doesn't look friendly at all."

Flint lets out a loud growl, and before the three of us can stop him, he's climbed up onto the railing of the balcony.

"Whoa, Flint, what are you doing?" Mitsuhiro yells out.

Flint takes off his glasses and folds them up, stuffing them into his pocket.

"My job is to protect Sadik," Flint says, "as a Reaper and as her friend. I'm not going to let Shiyoru hurt her, even if Shiyoru was one of my friends at one point in time as well."

He holds his arms out, like a holy martyr, the cool wind catching his shirt and his black hair.

"Forgive me, Sadik, if I can't make it there in time . . ." I hear him whisper. Then he looks back at us; more or less, Uzuki and Mitsuhiro. "I'm hoping that you two will help me as well?"

Uzuki and Mitsuhiro nod with determined smiles.

"Sadik's my friend too," says Uzuki. "Besides, she's the only one I know who's as crazy as I am and still actually likes me."

"She may be crazy, but she doesn't bother me in the least bit," Mitsuhiro snickers. "Either way, a friend of Uzuki's is a friend of mine."

A gentle smile grazes Flint's face, and with a relaxed exhale, he turns his neck back around, and leaps off the railway of the tower. The three of us look over the balcony, watching as his body becomes wrapped in slick black feathers and shadows. And then he rises again. Not as the simple human who runs a bookstore – no, much greater than that.

When he rises, he is a god.

His wings are much larger than any Reapers I have ever seen, his hair a glowing red . . . and his eyes. So black, so intense, that they make me think the Kyodai no Akuma wouldn't stand a chance against this creature.

"It must feel good to be back in your Reaper body, huh?" Uzuki calls up to him, her face brightened with a cheerful smile.

The same cheerful smile crosses Flint's face as well, and then he's gone in an instant, leaving behind a flurry of black feathers for the three of us to admire.

"Come on, are you going to let him steal all the glory?" laughs Mitsuhiro, giving both Uzuki and I a look that tells me everything – he's ready for a challenge today, and he's definitely going to win.

Uzuki lets out a lunatic laugh – one that I haven't heard in Goddess knows how long – and vaults herself off the railing, rising back up with her wings sprouted from her back as well. Mitsuhiro does the same, appearing by Uzuki's side with his grand black Reaper wings.

"Don't you dare leave without me!" I call to them angrily as I jump off the railing as well. But instead of rising back up in a cloud of feathers, I land on one of the rooftops below, and I begin to follow the dusky shadows that have now consumed Uzuki and Mitsuhiro's bodies, the three of us travelling straight towards where Sadik is.

I land heavily on the ground from the fifth rooftop, my knees just barely hitting the pavement. Uzuki and Mitsuhiro have landed safely from their black clouds, near Flint, where he's put away his wings and is now staring down the nefarious Shiyoru.

But I think we're too late.

Because from what I can tell, it looks like Shiyoru has already managed to _behead_ poor Sadik.

Shiyoru smirks at nasty, sharp-toothed sneer at us. I can only see one of her eyes from her; the other one is covered by a long section of her red bangs. Her hair is quite similar to Flint's Reaper hair – very red, very bright in the dark, like a lantern illuminating the shadows of the night. When it comes down to it, Shiyoru looks a lot like Flint. She even wears glasses.

"Shiyoru!" Flint yells out, his voice deep and petrifying. "Don't you dare lay a finger on Sadik!"

Shiyoru places her hands on her hips, very sassy-like. "Oh, I wasn't going to hurt her! . . . yet. Now that you mention it though, I think I've been waiting a little too long to return her to the Society where she belongs."

"The Society is still intent on bringing her back?" Flint shouts.

"Oh, well . . . they _were_, before that other girl was reborn. Sadik was to be a perfect vessel for the Sairento no Akuma, but that other girl was reborn first, and proved to be the better vessel. Of course, we soon found an even _better_ body. We tried Jun first, but the demon was perfectly compatible with another one of his family members – his innocent and pathetic little brother."

Shiyoru shrugs and sighs in loss. "And I killed Sadik all for nothing . . . now we just want her to be a guinea pig for our little experiments." She slips her fingers together and pushes them out, cracking them. She starts to kick her legs around, one at a time, loosening them. "I'm sure Ikkashi can find a very good use for her."

"Sadik, don't worry!" Flint calls out past Shiyoru, to where Sadik is laying on the ground, her head a good meter away from her body. Strangely enough, there's no blood.

And even stranger – her fingers start to move after Flint calls her name.

"W-Wait, she should be dead!" I cry out before I can stop myself.

Shiyoru looks back at Sadik's body as it helps itself up off the ground. The eyes on Sadik's head snap open.

"Ugh, I guess she couldn't stay unconscious long enough for me to take her back to Ikkashi . . ." Shiyoru grumbles, shoving her hands into the pockets of her shorts. "Well, I guess that's okay. She can witness your deaths. I'm sure she would love to see me kill you, Uzuki. And that goes for you too, Flint."

"Hey! You're not going to be killing a single one of them!" Sadik's head yells out.

I think I'm going to throw up.

But Uzuki looks completely interested in what's going on right now. Her mouth is as agape as mine, but it's in more of a curious, this-is-so-cool-I-have-just-discovered-something-important kind of way. Whatever it is she's realized, I don't want to hear it.

Flint steps forward, reaching inside of his cloak and pulling out a jet-black muramasa blade. I've seen those things only in history books. One of the most sinister blades ever created . . . a blade said to be possessed by the demons. Attached to the handle of the weapon are two strings, each one with a bell on the bottom.

Shiyoru snaps her neck to the left. I can hear the loud crack all the way from here. She starts to nudge her feet around, kicking her toes gently against her heels and against the pavement. The shoes she's wearing are unlike anything I've ever seen before. There are barely any heels on them, but I can see that they still have decent grip. They're quite similar to boots, except they have large shin guards that travel from the top of the boots – just a few inches away from her knees – to just the edge of where the leg ends and the foot begins, right at the ankle; or really, the bend, the _crease_ where the foot and leg meet. There are multiple straps along the back of the boots that are probably keeping the shin guards attached. She's also wearing gloves that seem to have some kind of grip on them as well, and her shorts are cut before they even really begin. Actually . . . I don't even think those are really shorts. It looks more like she's wearing red underwear – probably of a whole different fabric – and shorts that just cover the sides, ignoring the front and back. Gross. Her tank top, like everything else she's wearing, is very tight-fitting, and the only sleeves that support it are the red spaghetti straps. Wherever there's skin showing – and I mean _everywhere_ with this one – there are red tattoos splattered everywhere; all of them look like racing stripes, each one of them parallel lines that travel along her shoulders and down her arms.

For her, there must be a reason for dressing like that. Even Uzuki dresses like her from time to time, but it's when she's training in the backwoods or cosplaying; another thing that can get rather gross sometimes, depending on who she's cosplaying as.

I retrieve my own sword as well, following Flint's actions and circling the red-haired girl. She watches the both of us intently with her wild black eyes, tying her hair back into a low pony tail as she observes us observing her. To my left, I can see Mitsuhiro preparing himself for battle as well. To my right, I can see Uzuki shuffling slowly towards Sadik, managing to stay out of Shiyoru's wide view.

So I'm guessing this is the plan so far: Flint, Mitsuhiro and I will try to hold off Shiyoru while Uzuki goes to retrieve Sadik and her cut-off head; after that problem is solved, Uzuki and Sadik will probably join the fight as well, outnumbering Shiyoru five-to-one; but knowing our luck, somebody is going to interfere with our plan, perhaps backup fighters for Shiyoru; and somehow, hopefully, we'll manage to get out of here alright, maybe if one of our own teammates magically appear to save the day.

That's the basis for most of our plans, you see. We really don't like thinking ahead. Most of our teammates are like wild dogs anyway.

**A Short Interlude**

"Psst, Sadik!" Uzuki hisses in a quick breath, inching her way closer to the beheaded Sadik.

"Yes, yes, I see you coming over here!" Sadik jeers sarcastically, her body placing its hands on its hips and tapping its foot impatiently. "I can still see, thank you very much!"

"Do you need any help?" Uzuki asks very calmly. Although, the answer to that should be quite clear, but Sadik responds otherwise.

"No, no, it's fine, I think I can handle this," her head sighs. She looks up as high as she can, up towards her body, where it's standing five feet away. "Alright, over here, you stupid thing." Her body is immediately alerted and starts to walk towards her head. "That's right, keep going . . . furtheeerrr – wait, no, that's too close!" Her foot accidentally kicks her head across the ground, another few feet away.

"Gah, you're annoying as hell!" Sadik yells. "Just a few steps closer!"

The body walks too close again, and kicks her head further.

"Oh, you stupid body! Can't you do anything right?"

The body aimlessly waves its arms around, trying to locate Sadik's head again.

"Alright, if you want to do it this way, take one – and I swear to hell if you exaggerate that, I mean _one_ – step forward from the direction you're in now. There you go . . . now take two more of those. Alright, that's good! You're right above me! Now . . . PICK ME UP!"

The body starts to search around on the pavement for Sadik's head, like a blindfolded child trying to locate candy.

"I'm right here, you idiot! Follow my goddamn voice!" Sadik screams. After a few more moments of the body searching around, its hands finally touch Sadik's face, and the hands move around her face until they locate her neck. The body places its hands on her neck and lifts her up off the ground, reattaching her head back on her own body, on top of the spiked collar.

"Sadik, how did you die exactly?" Uzuki asks cautiously.

"Got my head lopped off by a katana," Sadik replies casually. "I was murdered. By Shiyoru, apparently."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier that Shiyoru was a traitor," Uzuki sighs. "I never got the chance to warn you."

Sadik smiles at Uzuki and hugs her. "Nah, it's fine. Although, I'm a little P.O.'ed that Shiyoru killed me just to use me as a vessel for the Sairento no Akuma, but . . . well, I guess I can suck it up and get over it."

"You're not at all bugged about it?"

"No, not really. I like Flint more anyways."

They smile at each other.

"You know what they say, 'Karma is a bitch'," Sadik laughs, gesturing to her shirt that has the exact same words plastered on the front. "And hopefully Shiyoru will get her full helping of karma by the end of tonight."

"I'm sure she will," Uzuki replies with her own smile.

Sadik reaches down and pulls up the black ribbon that's tied to her belt, a knife attached to one end. She swings it around like a ball on a chain.

"You ready for a good fight?" Sadik giggles to Uzuki, halting the swinging of the blade at the end of the ribbon.

"You betcha'," Uzuki laughs back. The two girls then link arms and walk together towards the red-haired traitor, with wide, crazy smiles on their content faces.

**Chapter 23 (Continued)**

Now I know why this girl wears such skimpy clothing. It's for the same reason Uzuki wears it when she's training out in the backwoods.

Speed.

The only thing that really flows on her entire body is her long hair, and even that's tied up. Her tight-fitting clothes prevent her from being slowed down by anything. It explains why she's so damn fast. This girl doesn't fight with any weapons at all, so she's not weighed down by sheaths or holsters or shields or extra equipment. The only thing she uses is her feet, but her fighting style is much different than the ones we use. She uses her hands, mostly her feet, but it's almost like she's combined every fighting technique that we use.

Mixed martial arts.

I've seen it only a few times, mostly from Uzuki or Mitsuhiro. I'm certain that Zero – Princess Zelda – fights the same way as well once in a while.

But so far, the best weapon this girl seems to have is her speed. I remember Uzuki being at her fastest as well while wearing the clothes that didn't have any sleeves or drapery or anything.

Drapery. Just like my dang tunic. I guess there's a reason why Uzuki was so strict with me wearing something different from my tunic, for reasons other than fashion sense (something Uzuki is typically strict about too, for absurd reasons). Maybe that's why Uzuki was so willing to cut off her ponytail when we battled atop the colossus so long ago. Sure, I had her in a tight spot, but maybe she knew that her ponytail was slowing her down anyways?

Unfortunately, such a technique as changing your clothes in less than a second doesn't exist. But the least I can do is getting rid of the things I can – like my hat.

I reach up to my head and grasp the edge of my hat, lifting it from my blond hair and chucking it to the ground. I can feel the rejection seeping off it already, but I don't care. Right now, speed is the way to go. While I'm at it – and doing this is _really _risky – I take off the sheath from my back, drop it to the ground, and then I do the same with my sword. Shiyoru, Mitsuhiro and Flint watch me in wonder as I begin to drop my weapons, my jacket, and my extra holsters. When I'm done, all I'm wearing is my tunic, leggings, and boots, and the only weapon I have in my possession is a single kunai.

Hopefully, this is all I will need.

"So, you feel cocky, huh?" Shiyoru snickers as she brings her leg back and starts to re-stretch it. "That's just fine. Fewer weapons for you make it easier for me to defeat you; as if it wasn't going to be easy enough already."

"I'll be just fine without my sword or my other weapons," I challenge her, holding my kunai forward and preparing myself into a fighting stance. I don't know what fighting style I'm going to use on her; when I think about it, I think I've been using mixed martial arts this entire time too. I always just leap into a fight and switch from one style to another, which usually ends up in a combination of styles. In the end, Shiyoru and I are exactly the same when it comes to our fighting styles.

Flint, Mitsuhiro and I circle Shiyoru with confidence – and sheer wariness – in our steps.

**A Short Interlude**

Flint lets out a quiet sigh of defeat to himself as he stares down the red-haired martial artist.

_What happened?_ he thinks to himself sadly, as old memories begin to race through his mind. _The three of us . . . all three of us, such good friends._

But instead of a memory of Flint, Shiyoru, and Sadik appearing, he envisions himself standing with Shiyoru and Saru, all three of them standing side-by-side, with matching red hair and black robes.

"_Wow, I never thought a Twili could become a Reaper. You sure got balls, don't you?"_

"_Oh, fuck off, bookworm."_

"_You shouldn't be mean to him, Flint. He could become stronger than you."_

"_I doubt that."_

Sadik suddenly starts to creep into his mind.

"_You're going to run?"_

"_Of course! I don't want to become a vessel for their stupid demon! There's nothing for me here in the Dark Realm . . . I just want to go home."_

"_How come I didn't meet you earlier?"_

"_You were too busy hanging out with your redheads."_

"_Well . . . if you want to escape from the Society, I'm not going to stop you. I've been thinking of escaping too. I don't like the way they treat us, the way they use us to kill people."_

"_Finally, somebody who agrees with me! . . . But wait, what about your friends? The other red-haired guy and the girl?"_

"_Shiyoru might come along too, but . . . hmm, I don't know about Saru. I'll have to ask."_

Flint sighs again as he lifts his black muramasa.

"_Flint, are you crazy? You can't go back to the Realm of Light!"_

"_Sure I can. I'll just stay in my human form."_

"_Flint, that's a stupid idea. Don't you know that nobody has ever escaped from the Society?"_

"_I'm sure it wouldn't be that hard. Come with us, Saru. Sadik and Shiyoru are coming with me."_

"_There's no way I'm going with you to the Realm of Light."_

"_Why?"_

"_Because, I . . ."_

"_What? Don't got the balls, Saru?"_

"_Fuck off. Bookworm."_

"_Heh. I thought so."_

"_Flint."_

"_I'm going to the Realm of Light, Saru. If you decide later you don't want to serve as a puppet for the Society, then come find me. Until then, have fun living in hell."_

Flint rubs his head. _And here I thought that Shiyoru and Sadik were the ones that were always going to be by my side,_ Flint thinks to himself in defeat. _But it seems that Shiyoru was the enemy this whole time. Saru and Sadik are the ones that mean the most to me; the ones that still have a sense of righteousness in their heart._

Then Flint tilts his sword towards the girl slightly before charging at her.

_I guess I forgot who the enemy was._

**Chapter 23 (continued)**

It seems that Flint has decided to make the first move. I guess I'm alright with that, but it would be nice if we attacked her all at once to overwhelm her. But I'm sure Flint has his reasons to kill Shiyoru now – she apparently murdered Sadik, after all.

But I can't help but wonder what Shiyoru meant when she said they found a much better vessel for the Sairento no Akuma. I've never even heard of that demon before. I thought the Kyodai no Akuma was the only one. And they said they put it into Jun's 'innocent and pathetic little brother' . . .

It can't possibly be Shuto. There's no way it can be. I've never seen him go crazy or act strange the way Mitsuhiro did when he had the Kyodai no Akuma in him. He's perfectly fine, if you don't count his deaf human ears.

Is worrying about that now really good for me at this point? I don't know. As long as I ask her what she meant before I slice her apart.

Goddess Din. I hate it when I get these violent thoughts in my mind. I'm really not a violent person. I try to stay out of fights as much as possible. So when a thought comes into my mind that includes me slicing people apart, even if they're my enemies, I tend to get a chill.

Uzuki is soon back with us, and she and Sadik – now with her head attached to her body again – look as ready as ever to fight.

"You're a martial artist, aren't ya?" Uzuki laughs crazily as she bounces a kunai between her hands. "That's just fine with me! I learned a bit of your shit when I trained with my brothers!"

Suddenly, without any warning whatsoever, Sadik and Uzuki both pull off their shirts, wearing nothing but black sports bras underneath.

Yeesh. This is why I hate hanging out with so many girls.

First of all, I can understand where they're coming from with this. I mean, Sadik's shirt was pretty baggy and would probably weigh her down, but . . . Uzuki? Hmm . . .

Shiyoru pushes Flint away again, using the pads on the backs of her gloves to fend the blade away. Then she jumps back, and smiles at all of us.

"You think that because there's five of you and one of me that you can defeat me?" she declares. "Well, good luck with that!" She reaches down and pulls out from underneath her shin guards two large bricks, both of them very dark in color.

"Are those . . . weights?" Uzuki stammers in surprise.

"Weights?" Mitsuhiro yells out. "Oh shit . . . !"

_Weights. That means this entire time the chick has been slowed down by weights. But maybe they weren't all that heavy . . . _I think to myself reassuringly.

Shiyoru chucks the weights far away from us, and when they land, create huge craters in the ground.

_Scratch that last thought. _

"Ooh, looks like she's faster than she looks!" Uzuki laughs out loud.

_Uzuki, this is not a laughing matter!_

"Bring it, you red-haired bitch!" Uzuki screams. "I'll rip you apart for killing Sadik! How would you like to get your head cut off, huh?"

Well, it's too late now. Uzuki has crossed the 'sanity line' and has ventured into Crazy Town, the land of no return.

I bring my kunai back up and I take a step forward, focusing on her so hard so that she doesn't leave my sight.

I feel something press into my back. When I turn my neck around, I see her standing behind me, pressing her palm into my back. Damn. That _is_ fast.

"What did you think my Reaper ability was?" Shiyoru laughs as she brings her other arm up and puts me into a chokehold. "I'm the fastest Reaper that's ever become a member of the Society. I'm from Xixion Kobayashi's squad."

I can't manage to say a word underneath her tight grip, but there's still room to breathe through my nose and force the air down my throat and into my lungs.

"You know, Xixion isn't very happy about your murdering her sister," she continues on, slowly beginning to tighten her grip on me. "The original plan was for me to kidnap Sadik and bring her back; that was Ixion's plan, which was paired with her plan to kidnap that tank of yours so that we could retrieve the Sairento no Akuma. But when you sliced her through the throat, Xixion got pretty pissed, and told me to go through with my plan to get Sadik back. We could at least use her for ransom, you know, in case this guy-" She points at Flint. "-would decide to act up and try to play hero."

I want to tell her to let go, but the only sound I can let out is a cough.

Shiyoru brings her lips down next to my ear. "Oh, shush, shush, now. If you strain yourself, you'll run out of air quicker. But it looks like I've killed a ton of birds with one simple stone with this plan; not only will I have gotten the Society's guinea pig, but I will also have gotten both halves of the Kyodai no Akuma, and the infamous Link Nohansen Hyrule, the key to bringing our demon lord back to life. Oh, and we'll have Sadik's loyal protector, of course. I just have to be sure to bring all of you back alive."

She smiles, a line of drool trailing down through her teeth. She licks it up with her snake-like tongue. "They'll have to move me up to a higher squad after all this. Perhaps Jun or Iwata's?"

I can feel my face turning red. No, I'm probably blue by now. Is this what it feels like to be strangled? When I think about it, I don't think I've ever been held in such a tight chokehold. Procedures like this have been initiated by the Reapers as part of my training, but never in such a hold like this. And the only thing I have this time around is my kunai, and this girl is fast. Even if I managed to get out of her hold, she would probably have me in another one in less than a second.

We outnumber her four to one anyways if I go out. I guess it's the only plan I have right now.

I let the black and purple colors swirl into my vision after mustering my final breath.

**An Interlude**

Shiyoru releases Link, letting his body crumple down to the ground in a heap. In a matter of seconds, Link's skin color changes from blue back to peach, but his eyes don't open.

Uzuki lets out a shriek. "Dammit, he took the flight plan!"

"What a little traitor," Mitsuhiro mumbles with a shrug of his shoulders. "Ah well, I guess it couldn't be helped. We still outnumber her four to one."

Uzuki leaps forward with a kunai in her hand and takes a swing at Shiyoru. In a red blur, Shiyoru's body is gone again, reappearing on a nearby rooftop. There are several more blurs, and out of nowhere, a stream of blood bursting out of Mitsuhiro's side. He falls down to his knees, clutching the long cut that's going through his skin.

"Mitsuhiro, are you alright?" Uzuki yells as she rushes to his side.

Mitsuhiro pushes her away. "I'm fine, just watch out for-!"

Uzuki is suddenly pushed over by another red blur. She takes a few steadying breaths, and begins to search for any wounds like Mitsuhiro's, but there are none. But she knows something is wrong when blood begins to trickle from her mouth like water from a tap.

"Damn . . . I think she got something internally . . ." Uzuki wheezes as she presses her hand to her stomach, very lightly as to not worsen the bleeding.

Sadik steps forward to Uzuki, and gestures for Flint to come closer as well.

"Stay close to me," Sadik says.

Uzuki looks up to Sadik. Then she notices the difference in Sadik's eyes. What used to be crazy, big, brown, wild eyes are now dark, hostile, and intimidating orbs of darkness.

" . . . W-When did you go into your Reaper form?" Uzuki stammers in astonishment.

"My human body practically _is_ my Reaper body," Sadik begins to explain. "I remember, half the reason for leaving the Society was because I found out that they were planning on using my body as a vessel for the Sairento no Akuma. They found a better vessel though, in a young but disturbed girl named Tabitha. When the Society plans to use a certain person for a demon vessel, they tend to keep their human bodies as Reaper bodies, so that the vessel remains unchanged and can still house the demon – so long as the human body isn't _too_ damaged, of course."

_So that's why Mitsuhiro's human body looks so much like his Reaper one,_ Uzuki thinks. _They planned on putting the Kyodai no Akuma into Mitsuhiro all along._

"Uzuki, the Sairento no Akuma is inside Shuto now," Sadik says. "I know it sounds crazy, but . . . Shiyoru said that they put the demon into Jun's brother – the only brother Jun ever had was and still is Shuto."

Uzuki starts to tremble. "There's a demon inside of Shuto now . . . ?" she whispers, her voice quivering. "I thought that Mitsuhiro was the only one with a demon inside of him . . ."

"I'm afraid not," Sadik sighs.

There's another red blur, and it punches Flint across the face this time.

Sadik shakes her head. "Never mind about that now, alright? Right now I gotta take care of this redheaded idiot."

Sadik looks up to the sky, and raises her right arm into the air. Beams of shadows begin to gather in her open palm, and when she strikes her hand down, in the same motion as striking a sword into the ground, a huge symbol appears from below the three of them, and suddenly, the red blurs stop coming. The symbol represents some sort of flower, petals spreading in all directions and its form glowing beautifully like a holy symbol.

Uzuki looks around to try and locate Shiyoru. When she finds her, she's shaking and trying to move, but she almost looks like she's being weighed down by a million bricks, dragging her body across the ground like a wounded soldier.

Sadik stays in the same position, keeping her gaze focused on the symbol below her feet.

"Go, now . . . !" Sadik grunts.

"Sadik, what are you-?" Uzuki begins, but she's hushed by Sadik's loud growl.

"I said _go_!"

Uzuki leaps up to her feet with Flint by her side, leaving Mitsuhiro behind with Sadik.

"What are you doing?" Mitsuhiro asks Sadik quietly. "Is this your Reaper ability?"

"I can cancel other Reapers' abilities," Sadik groans, facing in the other direction of where Shiyoru is. "But I have to keep the energy focused on Shiyoru's aura, to keep her abilities from coming back . . . I would prefer it if you didn't talk to me, so that I can concentrate."

Uzuki and Flint surround Shiyoru's weighed down body, both of them with their own weapons in their hands. Uzuki replaces her kunai with her scythe, and keeps Shiyoru from walking any further.

"You ever hear the saying, 'An eye for an eye'?" Mitsuhiro asks Sadik.

"Mmph . . ." is all Sadik can say from all of her struggling. She manages a nod.

"I think this saying really applies to what's happening here," he mutters as he watches Flint bring his muramasa up underneath Shiyoru's neck.

Then Mitsuhiro watches as Flint Mansel takes his muramasa and slices it straight through Shiyoru's neck like water.

A silent tear falls from Sadik's eye.


	24. Revenge of the Moon

I'll upload the rest of my bundle when I get the chance to . . .

-Uzuki Cheverie

**Time Gate: The Adult Chapters**

**Chapter 24: Revenge of the Moon**

It's been a week now. A week since we left behind the crime scene upon which Fara was killed, by my hand. A week since we declared that our mission at the Hyrule Academy was officially O-V-E-R. And a week since Flint Mansel and Uzuki beheaded Shiyoru of the Society.

And yet I still can't get over the fact that I didn't get in on any of that action. If it wasn't for Shiyoru strangling me, nearly to death, I'm sure I would have gotten a good piece of the action. But Mitsuhiro keeps reminding me that he was wounded pretty badly too, and he missed just as much action as me. And Sadik didn't get to do much beheading either; "So stop complaining," he keeps telling me.

I guess I should probably get over it, especially considering I normally don't like to kill people. But I don't like a traitor at all. I think the only traitor I've ever actually forgiven is Mitsuhiro (because the Kyodai no Akuma incident wasn't his fault, it was the demon's/the Society's) and Zelda (because she has her reasons for joining the Assassins, and I respect that). Even Fara I find hard to forgive, even if we did get along for a little while before I was forced to kill her. Thinking back on it, I think that was the worst way I've ever had to kill somebody. She had so much hope, possibly to realize that she was being used by the Society and was being treated like a simple animal being sent out to slaughter . . . but instead, she practically asked me to kill her. Maybe she wanted to be released from all the pain of knowing she wasn't important to the Society? For whatever reasons of her own, I'm sure she would have wanted to go that way.

Oh, and while I'm at it, it's also been a week since Kurenai and Matsuda have decided to help us out. After a few days, Kurenai and her little brother eventually decided that they wanted to help us; the two of them felt they owe me their lives for saving them back in Kalasia, even if I wasn't able to save their parents. Whether they're Time Keepers or not, I don't know yet, but the main thing is that they want to fight with us. I thought that would be a major problem, considering we're practically in the middle of our own war and they're just kids, but I was just a kid when I joined the Reapers too; Matsuda is currently only twelve years old, and Kurenai is fourteen. Like I said, I thought it was going to be a major problem, but apparently these two Angel siblings know how to fight, with their own weapons too. Kurenai had Uzuki craft their choice weapons with her artwork.

Now, I don't want to say that Kurenai's weapon is . . . impractical, but that's the first word that springs into my mind whenever I look at it. It's a lot like Uzuki's scythe, except the blade curves over both sides, like a crescent moon, and there's an extra rod in the middle that supports the two ends up. Now, I say it's impractical because, like Uzuki's scythe, the entire blade curves _inward_, and it has two freaking sticks to get in the way to boot. So far, I'm not convinced she'll be able to fight with that thing, but I guess she'll have to prove me wrong when she fights with me out in the backwoods today.

As for Matsuda, he at least has realistic visions when it comes to a weapon. He just uses about ten staffs and is somehow able to control them so he doesn't need to actually hold them. I'm pretty sure he uses wind magic to control the staffs, but I'm not so sure. The only thing that disgusts me about his weapon choice is that it reminds me too much of Luxerus Sarutobi from the Society, but I guess beggars can't be choosers.

The thing with Kurenai and Matsuda is that I'm going to do what I didn't do with Zelda when she decided to be a Time Keeper (I don't even know if she could still be considered one now that I know she's an Assassin) – I'm going to have a good spar with them to see what they're capable of.

When I told them that, they suddenly looked scared. Not as confident as they did before.

"Don't worry about it, it's not like it's a fight to the death or anything," I tell them. That seems to calm them a little bit. "Who wants to go first?"

Matsuda immediately jumps in the air excitedly, waving his hand around, almost like he thinks I can't see him.

"Ooh, me, me!" he yells. "Pick me!"

Yep, he's definitely still twelve.

"Uh . . . alright," I mutter. "Come on out back with me; Kurenai, you can come too, so you can observe."

Kurenai nods softly, and follows Matsuda and me outside into the backwoods, where we have a large section of our training grounds set up. Since I came here for the first time, a year older than Matsuda, the Reapers and I have formed a ring in the backwoods for spars like these. It's pretty simple; we just drew a circle in the grass with white paint and white lines through it to indicate whose side is whose.

I guide Matsuda inside the circle, leading him to his side. Then I walk to my own, and I pull out a kunai. This is a good opportunity for me to practice my speed the way I've been wanting to since my fight with Shiyoru. Fighting her made me realize how important speed can be. I wear too many things that weigh me down or slow down my speed. I have to get out of the habit of that.

Matsuda brings out his own weapons, throwing the staffs into the air as he pulls them out of their straps on his back and his belt, grabbing them with his wind magic before they can hit the ground. He keeps three in one hand, almost like a shield, and another one in his other hand. It's quite impressive, seeing how he's able to handle so many weapons at such a young age. Even I have trouble doing that from time to time; there's a reason I like to stick with my sword.

Matsuda and I start our battle, the two of us just testing the boundaries of our own weapons, especially Matsuda's. He's good when it comes to paying attention and not letting down his guard, but when it comes to control of all his weapons, he's a little behind. He's basically carrying too many weapons, too much for him to handle. Wind magic can be hard to control too, and from time to time, he has to stop to refocus his magic power to keep holding up the staffs.

As for myself, I notice a change in my speed after removing all of my extra gear. I feel much lighter, to the point that I'm almost scared I'll lose my balance.

Our battle is soon over, and I begin to tell Matsuda what I think of his fighting style.

"Why don't you start off with one staff and work your way up?" I ask him. "Controlling all those staffs at once looks like it takes a lot of focus and a lot of magic power too. It would make fighting a lot easier if you just used a few staffs instead of the large amount you're using now."

Matsuda puts away his staffs. "I guess you're right. I didn't even use half the staffs that I equipped."

I pat the boy's head, and I smile. "Just use what you can handle, alright? Sometimes less is more."

Matsuda smiles a wide, toothy smile, and then he skips out of the arena. He starts to urge Kurenai into the ring. She has a weak smile, and doesn't look as confident as her brother did when he entered the ring.

I take her hand and lead her to her side.

"There's nothing to be afraid of, you know," I tell her gently. "I'm not going to hurt you. I promise."

She smiles, but it looks like it's being forced. "I-I know, but I . . ."

"You're not so sure about real fights, huh?" I say for her, finishing her sentence.

She looks at me in amazement, and then nods, closing her eyes tightly and running into my arms.

"Hey, it's alright," I whisper to her soothingly. "I'll make sure nobody hurts you, alright?"

She nods, her face digging into my t-shirt. I get down to my knees and I brush her cheek with my hand.

"Do you still want to try sparring with me?" I ask her.

Her worried frown slowly starts to creep into a smile. With a shaking body, she nods.

"I want to at least try . . ." she says, her voice barely audible.

I gently place her on her side of the ring again, and then I proceed to mine. Things seem to be going fine at the beginning. She takes out her weapon, but things go wrong when I take out mine. When she sees the kunai in my hand, she shrieks, drops her weapon, and makes her escape for the outside of the ring.

Bang.

Oops.

I probably should have mentioned to her that when people are inside it, an invisible barrier grows from the edges of the ring and covers the arena like a dome. It doesn't really hurt that much when you hit it, but it depends on how fast you're running, and Kurenai was . . . well, she looked like she could finish a marathon in five seconds with running speed like that.

She falls back, letting out numerous cries as she clenches her face from where she hit the barrier. I rush to her aid, helping her up to her feet and disabling the barrier around us by hitting the switch just a few feet away from where she hit it.

Helping Kurenai to her feet and carrying her inside the house again, I can't help but try not to laugh along with Matsuda, who's laughing so hard that he may as well just laugh up both his lungs. I have to admit, every time I see somebody run into that barrier I have to laugh. I never see anybody run into it anymore either; the Reapers and I ran into it a lot when we first made the thing, but after we got used to it, things like this never happened as much.

When Uzuki sees Kurenai held over my shoulder, she lets out a snicker.

"Let me guess . . . she ran into the invisible barrier?" she laughs.

"I actually thought Matsuda was going to be the one to do it," I mutter back, still trying to hold back my laughter for Kurenai's sake. Matsuda gives me a look of disgust and distrust when he hears me say that, but his glares are soon replaced with more tears of laughter.

"I'm sorry, sis, but it was so funny!" he cries, his face becoming red from laughter. "I can't help myself!"

Kurenai doesn't look at anyone. She just curls up into my shoulder to hide her own tears of embarrassment.

I bring Kurenai into Yashiro's room, and I set her on the bed. I get down to my knees again, and I smile at her.

"Hey, it's alright," I whisper to her, wiping her tears away with my hand. "Trust me, I've done things a lot worse."

"Yeah, right," she sniffles, trying to stop the tears from flowing out of her white eyes.

"What, you don't believe me? You know that Uzuki has an entire sketchbook _filled_ with comics of stuff that's happened to everyone in our group?" I tell her. "A lot of them are centered on me too. Like the time Uzuki and Yashiro baked a cake for my birthday and it ended up blowing up in my face."

Kurenai starts to smile.

"And then there was the time that Uzuki bet that I couldn't hit a target with a dart. The rules were that every dart I got on the bulls eye, I would get a chocolate bar, and every time I _missed_, I would get punched by Mitsuhiro. It was also a way to help me improve my aiming skills with kunais. Well, I kept missing, and when I finally thought it was going to hit, Yashiro accidentally walked right in front of the shot. She had a dart stuck in her head for the next half-hour, and amazingly enough, she hadn't felt a thing."

This makes her laugh.

"See, you're laughing," I tell her. "Like I said, way worse things have happened to me, good or bad. You're not the only one."

Kurenai wraps her arms around my neck and hugs me tight. Is this what I was like when I was just a year younger than she is now? No, I wasn't this frail . . . but she has a million reasons to be like this. Her parents just died; and what sets her aside from me is that she actually knew her parents, got to live her life with them, before they died. I never knew my parents at all when they died. The only ones that have dead parents in our group are me, Mitsuhiro, and the Angels.

I'm not so alone anymore, now that I think about it.

"PLEASE, TAKE ME WITH YOU!" Kon wails, his fingers grasping the other side of my bag.

I pull harder on the straps. "Kon, get your hands off my bag! I told you, you're not coming with me!"

"I'M BEGGING YOU!"

Uzuki smashes her vodka cooler bottle against the table. It's her fifth one since this morning, and she's already shattered three. "For shit's sakes, Link, just take the damn kid with you," she growls at me. "He hasn't gotten out of the house in weeks. Are you trying to turn him into some kind of vampire? Cause' I'm telling you, we got plenty of those around here as it is, including me."

"Uzuki, I'm just going to Castle Town to run a quick errand," I argue. "I'll be there and back in five minutes. Kon doesn't need to come."

"PLEASE!" Kon cries out, gripping his little fingers even tighter onto the bag. Curse Uzuki, giving Kon's doll form fingers to grab things with.

"Let go, Kon!" I grunt.

Uzuki bolts up from her chair and grabs my bag from my hand. Then she grabs Kon. And before I can stop her, she stuffs Kon into my bag like a Christmas gift. Then she throws the bag into my arms.

"Stop being such a whiny little bitch, Link, and take him with you," Uzuki growls. "And Kon, you'd better behave, or I swear I'll rip that little head of yours right off your goddamn body."

Uzuki just called me a whiny little bitch. And she just threatened to rip Kon's little head off his body.

Meaning: She's very angry.

"Yes, ma'am," Kon and I both say nervously. With Kon still stuffed inside, I swing my bag over my shoulder.

She glares at us, and even though she's wearing those dang glasses, I can tell that she has her eyes of rage on right now. Even Mitsuhiro doesn't dare to cross her when her eyes are like that. Even _Yashiro_ doesn't, and she usually loves to piss Uzuki off.

Without any more screams from Uzuki, Kon and I manage to leave the house with our heads still attached. I glare angrily at Kon.

"Look at that, you aggravated Uzuki," I grumble at him.

"Oh, grow up," Kon sneers at me. "It's you she's mad at."

Kon and I continue to bicker all the way to the Mirror Sanctuary, and even when we're in Hyrule.

"Come on, Link, don't tell me you don't remember when that happened?" Kon growls at me, sticking his head out of my bag again. I do myself the favor in shoving his head back inside again so I don't have to look at him.

"Kon, there are many occasions on which we – including myself, Mitsuhiro, Yashiro and even Shuto – broke that goddamn window in Uzuki's living room," I argue with him as I walk down the steps of the Temple of Time.

"But you broke it the most!" Kon disagrees, flailing his little arms about. "I listened to Uzuki, and always stayed away from it!"

I flick the little moron in the forehead, and push him back into my bag for the millionth time today. I can hear the footsteps of the Deity walking behind me. It's been years since I've actually seen him face to face; I was beginning to think he was physically gone from this world.

"I would be quite content if you two _gentlemen_ stopped your disputing," he sighs, rubbing his temples with his gloved fingers. "You're making me suffer from a wave of unpleasant migraines."

I sneer back at him. "Not until I prove to this little ingrate that he should have just stayed home where he belongs!"

"Link, you used to love hanging out with me!" Kon exclaims. "Why the sudden change of heart?"

"I'm just a little too busy right now, Kon," I sigh, my heart plunging slightly in guilt from Kon's words. It's true that I haven't been paying much attention to the little guy, especially since our long mission at the Academy. He's been stuck at the house for a long time now, and I'm quite certain that this is the first time he's ever stepped foot outside of the house – better yet, the Dark Realm for the matter – in months.

"Are you here to settle the new problem that has recently arisen in the city?" the Deity asks from behind me.

"We solved it a while back," I mumble, thinking back to those horrific days at the Academy. I hate it when somebody like the Deity – whom I'm going to try and start calling Oni from now on – brings up previous experiences like our one at the Academy because they didn't know we finished it. I had a few good times at that school, but I can guarantee you two hundred percent I'm never going back there again. Too many crazies like Uzuki.

"Have you? But that eyesore is still in our skies. I would personally love it if you were able to remove it."

I stop just a few stairs away from the bottom. Then I turn around to look at my godly twin.

". . . Eyesore? Oni, I thought you were talking about the Reapers at the Academy there for a second . . . what are _you_ talking about?" I gasp in surprise.

The Deity starts to walk ahead of me. "Well, surely you should have known. Approximately a month ago, that ghastly moon showed up again. I was hoping I was to be rid of it after you defeated the Skull Kid so many years ago, but it seems it's come back."

My skin goes cold, and my legs go numb. I can't even find the words to speak, and even when I do, my tongue has gone lifeless, unable to move and speak the sounds of any sentence.

Kon speaks the words for me.

"What are you talking about? What moon?" Kon asks. "Are you talking about the one he destroyed with the help of the Four Giants from Termina?"

The Deity turns to look at Kon. "Indeed. You see, back before Link was even wrapped up in the turmoil of the Reapers and their world of darkness, he set out from Hyrule and happened to get caught up in the strange world of Termina. Even I cannot quite explain the nature of that world. It's quite hard to grasp how the train in Hyrule can possibly travel to such a place. When Link arrived there, it was under the curse of a small child – a Skull Kid – who had stolen a precious but dangerous mask from a travelling salesman."

Kon nods. "Yes, I've heard the story."

"The Skull Kid used the moon as a weapon of mass destruction," the Deity continues. "Or should I say, Majora's Mask did. Link was forced to summon the four great giants of Termina to stop the moon from crashing into that world." The Deity brushes his silver bangs aside from his face. "And now, against all odds, the moon has somehow managed to come back."

I shake my head angrily, my hands unwillingly tightening into fists. "There's no way that moon can be back . . ." I hiss angrily, my words barely making it past my lips.

"Then allow me to show you," the Deity says, and gestures with a snap of his head to follow me. I do as he tells me to, my legs still shaking and making it hard to make the last few steps. I stumble my way through the main hall of the Temple of Time, Kon gripping my neck with his arms from behind me, his body shaking just as much as mine. I don't know why he's shaking so much. He's never actually seen this monstrosity before; it's not like he's facing it a second time, like I am. Of course, I'm also hoping that this is just going to be one of the Deity's sick jokes . . . but something tells me the Deity isn't one of those joking kind of guys.

When we're outside, the Deity still ahead of me, I see that this is not some kind of sick joke.

Up in the sky, above us and the entire city, lies the moon, the same exact moon that's been haunting my nightmares since I was a child . . . only now, it's worse – worse because it's back; worse because it looks even _scarier _now, with blood running through its sharper teeth and much crazier-looking eyes; and most of all, worse because it looks like it's going to fall any second now. It's just like before, so close that I can feel its breath – if it even breathes – hitting my skin like a cold, horrific breeze.

I feel like falling, but I know that if I do, I'll probably land on top of Kon, and I need to focus right now. How do I get rid of this thing? How did it even get here in the first place? Why am I even asking myself these questions? It's no doubt the Society; only the Society could pull off impossible shit like this.

The Deity places his hand on my shoulder. "I express my deepest regret for having to show you this horrendous sight, Link," he apologizes.

I make a quick laugh to myself at his horrible comment. "Horrendous isn't the word for it."

The Deity shakes his head. "However you feel to describe it, I still must convey my deepest sorrow to you. I am truly sorry. I hope that you can find some way to put an end to this crisis."

Then he pats my shoulder one more time, as a message of kindness and sorrow, and then turns around and heads back inside of the temple.

The ground starts to shake, sending new waves of fear through both my body and my consciousness.

"What do we do now, Link?" Kon asks me. Our previous argument has finally been pushed out of our minds, only due to this monster in the skies.

I sigh, and shake my head doubtfully. "I . . . I just don't know, Kon."

The ground continues to shake violently, and I down a fearful swallow.

"Kon, I think it's . . ." I begin, but I can't find the words to finish the sentence with. All this shaking . . . the moon is falling. I can tell by the tremors in the ground and how close the damn thing is. I shove Kon's head back inside the back.

"Stay in there, you little pig," I growl. "And don't you dare come out again." I don't mean any harm towards the kid. I just don't want him to experience the same thing I did back when I was young. And if I don't make it out of here, I don't want him to have to see Hyrule – and everything else – get blown to smithereens.

I have no clue how much time I have. But whatever the case, the first person that I begin to think about is Zelda. Even if I only have a measly five minutes, I have to get her out of here before it hits. But I have to pray to the Goddesses that she's at the school, because that's where I'm going. It's the only place I'd be able to grab her right away. If she's at the castle, the guards won't let me through, or take her for that matter (I'll get accused of kidnapping). And if she's with the Assassins, she probably won't leave with me; she'll probably just be a stubborn ass and stay with Makoto and the others and wait for their gruesome explosive death.

The more I run, the more steps I take, the heavier my worry becomes, as the moon gets nearer and nearer, the tremors occurring a lot more frequently. Everyone in the market is as terrified as me too; all of them are scrambling around like Cuccos with their heads cut off. A lot of them are frozen in their spot, watching the moon descend towards them. Others already have their families and friends with them, and are heading straight towards the main gate of the market, pushing their way through the crowds.

I shove my way through the people, trying not to get slowed down too much by their panicking and scrambling bodies. As I suspected, the Hyrule Academy is in the same state of uproar, and so many of the students are trying to get out at once that some of them are even leaving through the windows.

I grab a nearby student by the back of his shirt, and I turn him around. His face is just as horrified as everybody else's, and he looks ready to break down into tears.

"Kid, do you know where Zelda is?" I ask him frantically, my grip tightening on his shirt collar.

He shakes his head. "I-I don't know who that is."

I drop my grip on him, and I go to the next person, a girl who's staring silently at the moon above us.

"Hey, have you seen Zelda?" I ask her.

Like the boy, she shakes her head. "I've never heard of her."

I move on to the next student. And then the next. Every single one of them answers with the same type of reply.

"Who's Zelda?"

"Do you think have time to worry about somebody I don't know? I've got bigger things to worry about here!"

"I feel like I've heard her name before . . . but no, I can't help you. Sorry."

The ground's constant shaking reminds me that I'm running out of time. This school just has too many students, and too many of them don't know Zelda. It's surprising to me how many of the students here don't know her; you'd think that because she's the Princess, everybody would be swarming around her, and would at least recognize her name. But then again, it would make sense if Zelda never told anybody she was the Princess of Hyrule – then she wouldn't get those swarms of people that I just described. It would make life at the Academy a little easier if people didn't know who she really was.

"Zelda!" I yell out. Only a few of the students take notice of my sudden screams, but they continue on anyway. "Zelda!" I scream again, this time much louder than before.

I feel a tap on my back.

When I turn around, Zelda is standing there with an annoyed look on her face.

"Calm down, I'm right here," she snarls at me. "Why don't you just announce my whole name to the world while you're at it, yeah?"

I pull her into the tightest hug I think I've ever given her before. Her words don't mean a thing to me right now. I could take any insult from her and it wouldn't mean shit to me. What matters is that I found her.

"Link, let go of me," she growls annoyingly.

"No, never," I argue with her, holding her even tighter in my shaking arms.

Zelda starts to struggle underneath my grip, but I don't let go. And when I do, it's only to grab her arms and hoist her body up onto my back, piggy-back style.

"Whoa, whoa!" she exclaims in surprise. "Link, put me down!"

I glare back at her. "Zelda, I'm getting you out of here."

"I'm not abandoning this place to leave the rest of the people here to die!" she disagrees. "Come on, Link, I'm sure you can think of some way to defeat this thing!"

"In the next five minutes?" I challenge her. "I don't think so, Zelda."

Zelda sighs, and lets her face drop onto the back of my head, her hair falling down around my neck.

" . . . Link, please, just leave me here," she cries. "If this place is going down, then I'm going down with it."

"Can't do that, I'm afraid," I sigh. "Zelda, I'm sure I can come up with some way to beat this thing, but I need to get you someplace safe. I'm taking you to the Dark Realm."

Zelda perks herself back up again. "You will do no such thing!" she yells, whacking me hard over my head with her hand. "I'm not coming with you to that sorry excuse of a place you call home!"

"Where are the Assassins?" I ask her, ignoring her pleas.

"W-What?" she stammers.

"Where are the _Assassins_?" I growl through tightly gritted teeth.

Zelda shrugs her shoulders. "How should I know? They could be here, they could be back at the house, or they could be in several places at once. I can't tell you where they are specifically."

"What about those two friends of yours? Vincent and Yuuki?"

"They're . . . right over there," she answers, pointing up to the rooftop of the Academy. It doesn't take me a second to find the two students, the only ones that are on the rooftop of the school. Vincent is screaming something – I can make out some kind of battle cry and a few swear words in between – at the moon, and Yuuki is standing there like a martyr, a lacy black umbrella balanced on her shoulder and held behind her.

I nudge aside a few students that are standing between me and the wall of the Academy, and then I make my way up, climbing up the wall with my Soul-powered feet. Zelda clings on tightly, to assure she won't fall off, until I'm up to the top. I fling myself and Zelda onto the roof, and then I head for Vincent and Yuuki.

"Hey, freaks!" I yell, catching their attention immediately.

Vincent smiles maniacally at me, and screams something else before reaching into his pocket and chucking a rock at the moon. The moon is so close now that the rock hits the face of the moon with ease.

"Take that, you mother fucker!" Vincent swears, and then continues to play out his laughter like a horrible song. When it comes down to it, it's hard to decide which is scarier – the moon, or Vincent.

"Vincent, quit it, would you?" I yell at him again. "Or would you rather die with Mr. Moon up there?"

"We cannot leave our fate . . ." Yuuki says for Vincent. Her voice has changed. Instead of the usual hyper, crazy, similar-to-Vincent-voice, she's much calmer, and her voice sounds like a clear tune from a funeral track.

She looks at me, and then smiles. Even her eyes look different; much colder, more emotionless. Like mirrors with no reflection. "But we appreciate your offer, Link."

"I'm not giving you a choice right now," I hiss at them. "But I personally don't care what you two do. I'm taking Zelda no matter what your choice is."

Vincent stares at me with forbidding eyes, and then he points his gaze onto the moon. He sighs, shoving his nervous fingers through his white hair. Then he stands up and takes Yuuki's hand.

"We're better off alive than dead, Yuuki," he says to her. "I'll go wherever you go."

Yuuki looks at him, her eyes suddenly having the emotion of sadness in them, and then she nods. "I don't want my life to end just yet. I still have much to do. And I don't want to leave your side either."

Vincent pulls her into a tight hug, and as his arms are wrapped tightly around her frail little body, black wings start to sprout from his back, like flowers blooming on the first day of spring.

When he pulls himself away from their hug, he guides Yuuki to me. "Alright," he snickers. "Let's get the hell out of here."

I smile at him – the first time I've ever smiled at him and meant it – and then I walk past him, in the direction towards the gate.

"I'm going to be running pretty fast," I say back to Vincent and Yuuki, who have begun to walk with us. "So don't fall behind."

Vincent laughs happily, and lifts up Yuuki, holding her across his arms like a blanket.

"Lead the way, Mr. Fairy."

With a smile, I take off across the rooftops, away from the monster that's watching us from the skies. Zelda clutches me tightly from behind, holding on for dear life, and Vincent flies above me, carrying Yuuki in his arms. I leap from rooftop to rooftop, trying not to stumble as to lose speed. I have no tolerance – no time – to make mistakes right now. Any mistake could kill me and Zelda and Vincent and Yuuki. If I can make it back to the Dark Realm, I can at least figure out how to fix this mess.

The rooftops eventually run out, and I'm forced to make the long jump down to the ground. I fall to my knees for a second, but then I'm back up again, charging for the Temple of Time. The crowds have managed to disperse even just a little bit, making it easier to get through, and when I get to the Temple of Time, it's a clear shot to its doors.

I burst inside the Temple, running through its main hall and leaping over the dais that holds the Spiritual Stones. The Deity is sitting by the Pedestal of Time when I make it into the back room, his back leaning against the metal of the Master Sword. He seems quite content at first, but when he sees me running with Zelda, he looks shocked at first, but then he has an expression of empathy.

"Run, Link!" he yells at me as I pass him by and run up onto the staircase. This is the part I'm afraid of. Running up this staircase always takes so damn long, and I don't need to be wasting a second right now. I have to run faster. I can't slow down.

_Don't imagine the worst possible outcome. Just keep running. Don't slow down, speed up._

I clench my eyes tight from the pain of moving my legs so hard, but when I open them, I'm up on the top floor, where the Mirror resides.

The light starts to shine from its surface, and before I'm even sure it's active, I leap off the pedestal, just as the sky begins to fall.

**A Short Interlude**

Makoto continues to watch the moon from the watchtower, its face disappearing among the town buildings as it gets closer and closer.

"I guess this is the end, huh?" he laughs to Higashizawa.

". . . Indeed," Higashizawa sighs sadly, adjusting his glasses and buttoning up his lab coat.

"It's been my greatest pleasure being your stepbrother," Makoto says to his brother with a kind smile.

"The same goes for you, Makoto-kun."

"You know what?"

"What?" Higashizawa asks.

"If I could do anything right now, I would kill every single human on this goddamn planet. It's too bad I didn't get to accomplish that."

Higashizawa sighs again, and stuffs his trembling hands into his pockets. "Indeed, brother. But I never was much for killing humans."

Higashizawa looks at Makoto. "You know what, Makoto?"

"Hmm, what?"

"You'd make a good Reaper."

Makoto laughs. "Nah, I'd be horrible for them. First I'd kill that damn Society, and then I would take out Mitsuhiro. Then the world and its miserable people would come last."

"It seems like a good goal."

"Hmm, maybe."

Then Makoto and Higashizawa both smile and pat each other on the back as the moon ignites the fire in the monotonous blue sky.

**Chapter 24 (continued)**

We . . . we made it.

The sky that was once on fire is now black, with golden clouds, and disgusting birds flying through it.

My legs are trembling. I haven't worked them that hard in a long time. But I wait for Zelda to get off my back before I let myself fall to the ground, my body convulsing and my stomach churning. I can feel my throat heating up.

I throw up.

"Link! Link, are you alright?" Zelda yells in a state of panic as she watches me throw up everything I've eaten since this morning.

After all of it's out of my system, I fall onto my side, away from the disgusting pile of partially-digested food, and I start to rub my legs, the blood and the muscles and everything else inside of them tingling. They feel like they're on fire, burning from the inside all the way to the outside, to the skin. I wouldn't be surprised if I looked down right now at them and they were actually burning in a sea of crimson flames.

"Link!"

My heart is racing too fast, and I can't seem to slow it down. I think that's the most adrenaline I've ever had at once, at least since the time I fought Mitsuhiro and the Kyodai no Akuma.

Zelda grabs my arm, and tries to roll me over. She manages to turn me onto my back, and then she's on top of me, trying to knock the life back into me by shaking me and yelling at me.

"Zelda, I'm fine!" I finally manage to say.

"Thank the Goddess Din . . . !" she gasps, and pulls me into a tight hug, her arms wrapped around my neck.

I soon see Vincent standing above me, as well as Yuuki. He looks at me first, and then he looks off in the distance.

"Does this mean . . . Hyrule's gone?" he asks.

Zelda immediately pulls me out of the hug, her once compassionate and caring eyes now filled with pure rage and hatred.

"That's right!" she shouts. Then she raises her hand and slaps me hard across the face, harder than she ever has done before. I let out a cough, and then I fall back onto my back. The place where she slapped me is now stinging more than anywhere else, besides my legs.

"Link, Hyrule's gone!" Zelda exclaims angrily and sadly at the same time. "I didn't want you to take me here! I wanted to die with my kingdom!"

Alright. That's it. I'm not getting pushed around by her anymore for doing the right thing.

"Excuse me?" I hiss, raising my head and pushing her off me. "That's your form of thanks for saving your goddamn life?"

Zelda gets up from the ground, and stands above me with a superior gaze.

"You were supposed to leave me there!" she argues with me, her eyes burning holes into my skin. "And instead you did what? Brought me to this goddess-forsaken _hell-hole_!"

I jump to my feet, no matter how much it hurts to do so, and I bring myself closer to the girl, so close that I'm sure she's going to slap me for it.

"Don't you go insulting me and my home!" I snarl at her. "I saved your life! I could at least do that! But you're such an ungrateful little _rat_ that you refuse to acknowledge me at all for doing so! A simple 'thank you' would suffice, but instead you go hitting me and insulting me instead!"

"Do you _want_ me to hit you?" she growls at me. "Are you challenging me?"

"Bring it on. You won't be able to land a single scratch on me."

Suddenly, Zelda's bare hand is on my left shoulder, and her other hand is pressing into my stomach.

I don't remember what happened in between, but I do remember looking up at the sky above me from the ground. I wearily raise my head to see Zelda standing there, cracking her knuckles viciously and mumbling her own insults at me under her breath.

I sit up, propping myself on my elbows. "So that's how you want to do this, huh?"

"I wouldn't be happier," she taunts, putting herself in a stance ready for battle.

I leap to my feet again, preparing myself for battle as well. Vincent and Yuuki back away, watching us from the side.

"Guys, don't fight!" Yuuki begs us. But it's too late; we've already begun this fight, and who knows when we're planning on ending it.

We charge at each other, and in a mere second, our fists our flying, the two of us with eyes of pure hatred for each other. Zelda continuously tries to grab me like before, to throw me, but I'm able to get out of her tricky holds with throws of my own.

At one point, our hands interlock, and we try to push each other over onto our backsides. We both push all of our strength into our hands, staring each other down like animals fighting for their territory.

But before one of us can give out, there's a morphed, yet ear-splitting sound that pushes the both of us back onto the ground. When we both look up, we see Shuto standing in the spot where our hands interlocked. Somehow, he had managed to get in between us without us seeing.

"You _idiots_!" he screams, shaking out his arms, the machines that are attached to them shaking slightly with each movement he makes. "What are you two trying to do, _kill_ each other?"

"That's what I was going for, yes," Zelda hisses, getting to her feet.

"Shut up, Zelda!" Shuto yells, and strikes her with another sound wave, pushing her back further. He turns back to me again. "Now, what's going on Link? I was just minding my own business, scouting, when I see you two trying to deliberately kill each other! Why is Zelda even here anyway?"

I wipe my mouth, and I bring myself up from the ground halfway, not standing up completely straight in case he feels the urge to shoot me a second time with one of those sound waves.

"Zelda here is being an idiot," I growl at him. "Hyrule's been destroyed by the dang moon, and Zelda here is blaming me for not leaving her there to die! She should be happy I saved her pathetic little human life!"

"Ugh, you sound just like those Reapers now, Link!" Zelda yells, back on her feet again.

"Wait your turn, Zelda!" Shuto scolds her, and punishes her by sending her back a few more feet with a third sound wave. Zelda's really got to learn to keep her mouth shut around Shuto; he can't stand people who interrupt.

Shuto dusts his hands off. "Link, did you say that Hyrule's been destroyed?" he asks for clarification.

"By the moon," I confirm. "The same moon that I stopped from destroying Termina over eight years ago."

Shuto wipes the forming sweat from his forehead. Then he starts to scratch his head. "Hyrule's been destroyed . . . well, I don't blame Zelda for being pissed off at you for not trying to stop the moon . . ."

"By the time I got there it was already falling," I tell him. "I just didn't have enough time to find a solution."

Shuto turns to Zelda. "And you. You have to stop being so goddamn stubborn. Link was doing you a favor. Think about it this way – if he had let you die, not only would he completely _lose _it, but there would be a high possibility that you would become a Reaper too . . . and we don't need the Society getting their filthy hands on you yet. Not to mention, Link's scary when he snaps."

Getting to her feet again, Zelda shakes her head in doubt at him. "I don't care how you put it, Kaniji. He forced me to abandon my kingdom. I'm the only one left now, along with Vincent and Yuuki."

"You seemed pretty eager to come with me earlier, though!" I argue with her.

She takes a breath, and then slowly exhales. "And I'm still regretting it. Now, everybody's . . ." Her eyes widen, and she suddenly falls to her knees, her entire body shaking. The words just manage to make it past her lips, and when they do, she nearly chokes on them. ". . . Dead."

Shuto gets down to help Zelda to her feet. "You're suffering from the shock now," he tells her, lifting her up and swinging her arm around his neck to keep her on her feet. "You need some rest. We'll take you back to the house."

It's only then that I realize how much pain my legs really are in. It's a shame that I don't have anybody to help me the way Zelda does, with Shuto. But I think I can make it back to the house; I can see the forest that surrounds it off in the distance.

"What about those two?" Shuto asks, tilting his head to Vincent and Yuuki.

"Oh, those are Zelda's friends," I explain to him. "Vincent is part Reaper, and Yuuki is . . . uh, she's his girlfriend."

Shuto stares at them for a moment, assessing their faces, and then he nods. "Alright, then. You two should come with us too. It's not safe to be left out here alone in the Dark Realm."

Vincent and Yuuki both nod in agreement, and they sprint ahead to catch up with him. I stay behind them, knowing that if I walk too fast I'll probably collapse again. I already feel like I'm going to fall and start throwing up Goddess-knows-what again, but I fight it, and I manage to keep it held back until I make it back to the house.

The moment I'm inside, I run into the bathroom.

When I open my eyes, I'm greeted by Shuto.

"Wakey wakey, Sleeping Beauty," he laughs. "Geez, you're a mess."

I blink a few times to adjust my eyes to the light. Shuto laughs at me.

"You sure overworked yourself, huh? When I was done with Zelda, Vincent and Yuuki, I found you unconscious, hunched over with your face on the toilet seat and a puddle of drool and puke coming out of your mouth. I almost thought you were dead for a second."

I can still taste the vomit in my mouth. I must not have been out for very long.

"How are you feeling now?" Shuto asks me as he hands me a tall glass of water with three ice cubes clinking in the bottom.

I happily drink the water down in one sitting, ridding my mouth of the vomit taste. I can still taste it a little, but it's not as bad as it was.

"I have a horrible headache," I mutter after I've set the glass on the coffee table next to me. "And I feel like shit."

Shuto laughs again. "The headache should go away soon. But that shitty feeling might take a while."

"I think I'll be fine." I look around the living room, and I see that nobody is in here except me and Shuto. "Where's everyone else?"

"Uzuki's in her room, trying to coax Zelda out of her crying fest," Shuto sighs. "She's really taking this hard. But I guess I don't blame her – everyone she held near and dear has just died, after all."

I scowl at him. "Yeah, not making the shitty feeling go away, Shuto," I growl at him.

Shuto sits on the arm of the couch. "So what's the plan, boss?"

I sit up against the other arm of the couch, and I begin to rub my forehead. I don't think this headache or this shitty feeling is planning on going away anytime soon.

"I have no clue," I sigh. "Zelda and her lunatic friends are stuck here until I can figure out what to do . . . and I don't even know where I would start. Hyrule's just been blown to oblivion; how am I supposed to fix that?"

He shrugs his shoulders. "Beats me. I'm sure we'll think of something though."

Uzuki and Vincent walk into the living room. The two of them look even more stressed out than me at this point.

"Blah, I hate it when Zelda gets like this . . . !" Vincent sulks.

"What do you expect, dipshit?" Uzuki snaps. "Or have you forgotten that Hyrule's just been blown up? You should be freaking out too!"

Well, it seems Uzuki's still in a bad mood. But there's no reason to ask her; if I do, she'll either get even more pissed off, or she'll reply, "I'm fine, I'm just tired," as always. So instead of doing one of the above notions, I sit there and let her rant so that she can get it all out of her system.

"I can't fucking believe that Hyrule's gone right now! I can't believe that goddamn moon is back!" she yells.

"Tell me something I don't know, Uzuki," I mumble angrily.

She glares at me with eyes of pure disgust. "Don't get me started, fucktard!" she yells at me. I mouth the words as she speaks them. I've heard this rant before – it's the "Don't get me started, fucktard, I'll fucking kill you," rant.

When she sees me mouth the words, she whacks me across the head.

"Don't you mock me!" she yells. "I'm serious, Link! We've got a serious problem on our hands right now, and you're sitting here making fun of me!"

"Well, excuse me, Uzuki," I growl at her. I'm sure to give her the worst evil eye I could ever give a person. "I wasn't aware that you were in bitch-mode."

She starts to grind her teeth together, clenching her hands into fists of wrath.

"What the fuck is wrong with you anyway?" I sneer at her. Swearing is usually something I don't like to do, but when it comes to dealing with Uzuki when she's in a bad mood, it's completely vital to seeing the light of day again. "You've been aggravated like this for the past few days."

"I have a good fucking reason," she swears back at me.

"Oh yeah? Enlighten me then – tell me why you're being such a bitch."

She shakes her head. "I have a reason, but there's no point in wasting my time telling it to you."

"Then don't take your anger out on me," I growl.

She starts to swear under her breath as she walks away, down the hallway. The door slams.

Shuto lets out a whistle. "Geez, I hope she feels better soon."

"I don't see why she's so riled up," I mutter. "Just leave her be. If she wants to be in a bad mood, she can go ahead."

Shuto sighs. "Well, I guess all we can do is stay out of her way, huh?"

"As long as she stays out of mine, too."

**An Interlude**

Uzuki sits on her chair, her fingers trembling around the vodka cooler bottle in her hand, and her sunglasses resting on the floor by her feet. Her eyes madly scan around the little bedroom, her skin crawling even more with each passing second. A line of blood trails from her left eye, as it targets all the items in the room.

Her scythe. Her sketchbook sitting on her desk. The empty vodka cooler bottle leaning against the wall. The pencil sitting on the windowsill. And finally, Mitsuhiro's blade sitting on the floor right in front of her feet.

Uzuki brings her hand up and wipes away the blood that's flowing from her left eye. "Ugh, Shuto . . ." she mutters quietly to herself as she stares at the fresh blood stain on her hand. "You still haven't worked all the bugs out . . ."

A sharp chill goes up her spine when she hears Mitsuhiro's sword cry out to her.

"I'm not in the mood for this," Uzuki mumbles to the familiar face that's now reflecting back at her in the blade. "Go away."

The reflection of Uzuki laughs witlessly, baring its sharp fangs from its cruel mouth. Uzuki's eyes stare back at the reflection's bandaged face, its eyes hidden behind one single bandage covering over them, underneath her pitch-black bangs.

"I told you to go away," Uzuki says again to the reflection in the sword. "How come I can see you in there? And why are you a girl now?"

The reflection sighs and shakes her head. "You're an idiot," she says back to Uzuki. "I'm not the same as _him_. We're two halves of a whole. I'm not even inside this blade – I'm just making you think that."

"Well, quit it," Uzuki retorts. "You're annoying me."

Suddenly, the reflection in the blade disappears.

_Alright, then I'll just have my fun in here. _

Uzuki's grip on the vodka cooler bottle tightens even more.

"Get out of my head!" Uzuki yells.

_No thank you, I think I'll just stay in here,_ the voice laughs.

Uzuki takes the bottle and throws it the ground. The bottle shatters into pieces, the drink spilling onto the carpet. Then she falls to her knees on the floor, and tears start to fall from her right eye. Blood starts to flood from her left. Uzuki takes her fist and smashes it into the floor, her face twisted with rage, sadness, tears, and blood.

"Leave me alone!" she screams. Suddenly, her bedroom door bursts open, and Mitsuhiro runs in. When he sees Uzuki on the floor, blood and tears running from her eyes, he gets to the floor as well to pull her into a tight hug.

"Uzuki!" he whispers to her, pressing her head into his chest. He starts to wipe the blood from her eye. "Uzuki, what's happening to you?" he asks her. She shakes her head, and buries it deeper into his chest. Then he sees the sword sitting across from her chair. He pushes Uzuki away and gets up from the floor to grab his sword. Then he takes it and throws it down the hallway. The blade skids across the floor, all the way into the kitchen.

He slams the bedroom door, and then gets back onto the floor to comfort Uzuki.

"Uzuki . . . I told you, it's not safe to be around that thing . . ." he whispers to her comfortingly as he strokes her hair. "Did he say anything to you?"

"No, I . . ." she begins, but then she stops. "N-No, he didn't . . . I'm sorry, I'm just really . . . stressed out."

Mitsuhiro kisses her head before saying, "Then explain the blood coming out of your eye." He wipes the last little bit of blood that's trailing from her eye.

"Oh, I, um . . . well, I shattered my cooler bottle," she says. "So a little bit of glass might have gotten in my eye."

He stares at her doubtfully, but then shrugs his shoulders. "Go see Shuto about it then. We don't need you going blind."

Uzuki nods, and then stands up from the floor.

_Aw, you have people who worry about you_ _. . ._ the voice in her head snickers. _It's just too bad, really_.

_Why do you say that?_ Uzuki thinks back at it.

_. . . Well, they're not going to be alive much longer, that's all._


	25. Wednesday

**Time Gate: The Adult Chapters**

**Chapter 25: Wednesday**

"Hey, Vincent, have you seen Zelda anywhere?"

Vincent looks at me with a look that's telling me that I should know where he is. He adds an extremely large amount of sugar to his bowl of cereal, and then replies in a low mutter, "In Uzuki's room. Bawling her eyes out."

I half-groan, half-sigh at his answer. "Still? She's been like that for the past sixteen hours. She's going to have to get something to eat eventually. Has she even slept?"

"No-pe," Vincent answers in his same muttering voice. "Yuuki and Uzuki are trying to calm her down, but she's still crying. She's worse than a newborn baby . . . I swear when they cry I just want to take a knife and tear their insides from the-"

"Vincent!" I snap. "Shut up, would you? Goddess Din, you're sick! You'd better constantly remind yourself that you can't have kids!"

"Whoo," he laughs maniacally as he twirls his finger in the air and leaves for the living room with his cereal.

And that's the end of_ that_ conversation, I guess.

I leave the kitchen and head down the hallway, turning the corner and knocking on the door that's next to mine. It only takes one knock before Uzuki opens the door. Zelda's low, muffled cries and sniffles can be heard from inside.

"Ugh, thank goodness you're here," Uzuki sighs. "I've been trying to cheer her up all morning, but she just won't do anything. Even Yuuki can't cheer her up."

"Has she slept at all?" I ask.

"No, not once. I thought that her fatigue would catch up to her, but she's still going strong. She's either a real fighter against sleep, or the Assassins are just trained to stay awake for extremely long periods of time. I don't know when her fatigue will get her, if it ever will, but this lack of sleep is really going to affect her in the long run."

"C-Can I talk to her?" I stammer. I'm not nervous about talking to her . . . mostly. I think it's just because I know how cruel Zelda can be when she's in a bad mood. Even when she's _not_ in a bad mood she's dangerous enough, but in a mood like this, I know she'll kill me if I say anything out of line. Just seeing my face may be enough to spark her killer instinct – she may blame me again for saving her and not saving her kingdom. But I may get lucky – she may not have enough energy left to wrap her hands around my neck or stab me with a knife; she may not even have enough energy to give me one of her signature slaps to the face.

Uzuki nods. "Sure thing," she whispers. "Just . . . don't be an idiot about it. Try not to say anything that will upset her even more." I can tell that she's thinking the exact same thing I am.

Uzuki opens the door further, allowing me to walk into the room. The curtains are pulled over, so no light can get in except through the slits between the curtains and window that haven't been covered over enough. Then I see Zelda, her back facing us, laying on the bed in the corner of Uzuki's room that's barely ever used, curled up under a few blankets, her body twitching every so often from all the hard crying. She doesn't seem to be crying as much as before, but you can still hear her sniffle back a few tears every few seconds.

Uzuki looks at me and then walks out of the room, closing the door over about halfway behind her.

"Um . . . hey, Zelda," I say quietly as I walk towards her. "How are you feeling?"

She moves a little, probably not wanting to answer my question.

"Zelda?" I ask again. I slowly sit down on the corner of the mattress. The weird thing about Uzuki's bed is that she has no bed frame for it, so it's basically just a single mattress sitting on the floor. It's thick though, so it's still decently comfortable.

Zelda moves over slightly, but she still doesn't respond.

"Zelda, I know you're upset," I begin. "But, you know . . . it could be worse . . ."

I see her ears perk up. Then she shoots me the coldest look she has ever given me, ever.

"Worse?" she growls, her voice barely audible. "_Worse_? How could it be worse? My kingdom and my people are all _dead_!" She starts to raise her voice as she sits up in her bed. "What kind of an idiot are you? How could you possibly have a straight face when you say it could be worse?"

I stare at her, swallow back my doubt, and then I take a deep breath. I have to be careful with what I say right now. Anything, and I mean _anything_, could set her off now, like a ticking bomb waiting to explode.

"What I mean is, there's at least a chance of saving your kingdom," I continue.

She scowls at me. "You're an idiot. You're crazy!" she yells. "Are you listening to yourself? You _saw_ what Hyrule looked like after that – that _thing_ – destroyed it! And now you're saying there's a chance we could _save_ Hyrule? Why didn't you say that a day ago? You're a little late for that!"

I turn away from her for a minute, to try and push the insults she's thrown at me out of my head. Then I turn back to finish explaining what I was going to say.

"You know, I think you and the Assassins look on the dark side of things too much," I mumble. "We always figure out a way to solve something, no matter how big the problem is."

Zelda rolls her eyes. "And that's why Makoto calls you noobs."

"So I've been thinking we could – wait a minute, Makoto called us noobs?"

Zelda nods. "I do think you guys are a little, you know, noobish."

I give her a weird look. "Um . . . I'm not even going to pretend to know what noob means . . . _Anyways_, I think I already have a solution to figuring this problem out."

"And what are you going to do? Wave a magic wand and _magically_ make the people reappear?" she asks sarcastically.

I hold out my Time Gate. "Yes and no. I'll just write an entry on what happened yesterday. Then I can travel back to that date, and fix what happened."

She raises an eyebrow. "Is it really that simple?" she asks. "I mean, you don't even know _how_ that thing got there in the first place."

I snicker. "I've got a pretty good guess as to how it got there." The Society, duh. But I guess I'm partially lying. I know it was the Society, but as to _how_ they did it . . . no clue whatsoever. I may be able to find some clues as to how they did it though.

Zelda lets out a long sigh, and looks out the window next to the bed, staring out at the golden and black hues of the Dark Realm sky. "I don't like being here, Link . . ." she says softly. She closes her eyes, and lowers her head into her lap. "Please . . . if you can fix this . . . take me home."

I'm a little surprised by her sudden gentleness and act of trust in me. Now I know I can't let her down.

I stand up from her bed and walk back to the door. I look at her one last time, her face buried in her lap, and smile before I leave the room, shutting the door all the way afterwards.

When I sit down in the living room, I set my Time Gate down on the coffee table and begin to write down_ exactly_ what happened the day before. I'm also sure to write down what the date was yesterday, not confusing it with today's date.

_Wednesday, March 5__th_

_Hyrule has been destroyed. Everyone – including Zelda – is feeling horrible over what has happened. But I'm glad by how lucky the situation became. I just so happened to go visit Hyrule Castle Town, with Kon, when I saw what happened._

_The Society brought the Moon to Hyrule. The same moon that destroyed Termina, or at least, almost destroyed it before I stopped it. I was unable to save Hyrule this time though. I was only able to save Zelda and her two friends, Yuuki and Vincent._

_It was in the afternoon when it happened. I told Uzuki that I was going to go see if there was anything going on in Hyrule Castle Town. I guess I was bored, really. There were no major missions for us to do, and we had just completed the last horrific mission when we had to act as high school students at the Hyrule Academy. I was also somewhat hoping I would run into the Assassins; at least their hatred for me would bring a good thrill along. But the moment I got there, Kon and I were both terrified out of our minds when we saw the Moon hanging over Hyrule Castle Town, its smile wider than before and blood running through its teeth. Kon didn't know what it was, but I did, and I knew I had to act fast. The moon was definitely looking ready to fall, but I all I could think of was saving Zelda. I was in Hyrule Castle Town, after all, and it was about to be destroyed – I could at least save someone._

_The problem was I wasn't sure where she could be. There were three places I was positive of – with the Assassins; Hyrule Castle, where she tends to her royal duties; or at the Hyrule Academy. I was aware of the fact, however, that she had been spending every day at the Hyrule Academy since we started to go there, maybe even longer before that, so the chances of her being there seemed high enough.  
As I was running to the school, I knew that people had already noticed the moon. They were running around everywhere, making it hard for me to get to the school quickly enough, but I eventually made it. It was around lunch time when I found her, sitting in the cafeteria with Vincent and Yuuki. Figuring that she wouldn't want to leave Vincent and Yuuki behind, I decided to grab them too, and with Vincent carrying Yuuki, and me carrying Zelda, we ran out of the school, and that's when they noticed the moon as well. It was also around the time Zelda started to go into complete hysterics from all her fear. She didn't know what this thing was after all. Nobody did, except for me, and I was the only one who could stop it._

_But, instead of trying to stop it, I ran away as fast as I could from Hyrule Castle Town, carrying Zelda on my back and Vincent flying behind me with an unconscious Yuuki in his arms – she probably fainted._

_I don't even know how fast I was running when it happened. I was so filled with adrenaline and fear for life that I just ran faster and faster, and as I ran, I pulled out my C.T. crystal and screamed at Uzuki to open a portal for me in the middle of the field just outside of the city's walls._

_I managed to make it into the portal just as the moon crashed into Hyrule Castle Town._

_Zelda was extremely angry at me though. She screamed at me, and kicked me, and called me every name in the book._

_I had just neglected saving her kingdom, after all._

That should do. When I read over it though, I notice the date at the top – March 5th. I lift my head, and sit there silently for a minute, trying to think over why that date is so important. Then I remember.

"Uzuki!" I yell.

She yells back from the bathroom with a, "What the fuck is it, Link?"

"Happy belated-birthday!"

"Gee, thanks! It's great that you're reminding me how old I am! Like I need to be told that considering I'm _dead_!"

Well, she's still in a bad mood.

But I laugh at her sarcastic remark anyway and continue to read through my entry again. Her birthday was on the second of March; she's twenty-two now.

Uzuki shows up in the living room a couple minutes later. "Thanks for that, really," she says again. "I'm twenty-two years old; let's see how long I can live before I _really_ die."

Mitsuhiro walks by, through the kitchen and probably heading to his room. "Be nice, Uzuki!" he objects. "If it makes you feel any better, I left you a gift under your pillow in your bandage hammock!"

Uzuki looks at him surprised. "Did you, now?"

"Uh, yeah, I did!" he grumbles angrily.

She rolls her eyes at him. "Well, sorry for not looking under my pillow like I was looking for the tooth fairy! You should have put it in a more obvious spot!"

Mitsuhiro groans and shakes his head, and then walks off.

"Uzuki," I begin, trying to pull her attention towards me. "Do you think it's alright for me to disappear for a bit?"

Uzuki looks at me funny. "Do you need to do something? Not much you can do now that Hyrule's gone. If you're planning on walking through the Dark Realm, I'm going to have to say no to that – we can't have the Society find you right now, especially now that we know they're functional and _still_ after you."

I shake my head. "No, I mean, do you mind if I _disappear_?" I ask again, holding up my Time Gate so that she gets what I'm talking about.

She stares at me a minute, still trying to figure out what I'm saying, and the moment she does, her eyes widen and she goes, "Oh."

I nod slowly with a smile, the way Makoto does when he thinks he's talking to an idiot. "Yeeeaaah," I laugh.

Uzuki looks back to make sure no one's in the hallway listening, and then she sits down next to me.

"What time are you going to?" she grumbles.

"Yesterday," I reply, keeping my voice down as well. "I wrote down an entry for yesterday already, for when I showed up at Castle Town. I think I might be able to reverse what happened."

She reads over my entry, but then she shakes her head. "But wait, Link, you said you had about five minutes before the moon fell, right?" she asks me.

I nod in response.

"Five minutes isn't enough time to figure out what's wrong, stop it, and then get your butt out of there. Sure, you don't need to save Zelda again this time, but if _you_ don't get out of there, we'll have some problems on our hands."

I think over her analysis. She's right. Five minutes isn't even close to the time I'm going to need to find out how it got there, how to stop it, and then get out of there in one piece.

"What do you think I should do then?" I ask her.

Uzuki stares down at my Time Gate for a minute, thinking over what we should do. Then she comes up with an answer.

"Make a fake entry," she says. "Duh."

"Hmm," I ponder. "Will that work? I mean, I wasn't there, say, five hours before it happened, so how can I travel back to that time?"

"The Time Gate doesn't know if you're lying or not," she explains. "If you write about your day in Castle Town, maybe a good five or six hours before it happens, you should be able to go back to that point in time. But don't put anything too specific – you don't want to change the course of time too much. For example, if you write a lie about seeing Makoto in the square doing something weird, it may not work. Or it could, I really don't know. I didn't test out the Time Gate a lot when I made it."

I nod. "Okay. So that should work, right?"

"Just rip out a sheet of paper from the Time Gate and slip it in between this date and the last entry you put in. That way it goes in chronological order."

I do exactly what she told me, ripping out a piece of paper near the back of the Time Gate and setting it overtop the date that I just wrote.

Uzuki gets up from the couch. "Just get a hold of me before you leave, alright?" she says.

"Mm-hmm," I mumble as I begin to rewrite a new entry.

_March 5__th__, Wednesday_

_It's morning here. Things are pretty normal, I guess. The Society hasn't been up to anything weird for the past couple days, but we all know that isn't going to last long – they did attack the Hyrule Academy and the Royal Family Christmas party after all. The Reapers are just hanging around, so I decided to spend my day in Hyrule Castle Town, to see what was going on. I haven't seen the Assassins much today. Goddess Din knows what they've been up to._

I stop writing. I think that's the most I can put without getting too wrapped up in the details. I don't know how long the moon was there, so if I say it was a peaceful day in Hyrule Castle Town, it might not have really been and that could screw things up.

I call Uzuki, who's back in the living room the moment her name leaves my lips.

"Leaving?" she asks me.

"Yeah, I think this is the best entry I can come up with," I tell her as I hand her my Time Gate for her to read over. She scans over my words quickly, her eyes darting from left to right.

"Hmm . . . yeah, I think that should work," she says. "Sucks for you though if it doesn't." Then she leaves the living room and heads down the hallway.

At least she stayed in a good enough mood for me to get all of this sorted out with her. But I can't say she's going to feel one hundred percent better anytime soon.

I feel one of the cushions on the couch move. When I look to my left, I see Kon sitting next to me, looking at the Time Gate.

"Whatcha doing, Link?" he asks me.

"Working," I mumble as I lay my Time Gate across the coffee table. It's been a long time since I've actually used the power of the Time Gate; so I'm crossing my fingers that I don't screw this up.

"You're going back in time, aren't you?" he asks. "Can I come with you?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

Kon pouts, and starts to climb on my back. "Why can't I come?"

"Too dangerous."

"Come on, I know how to defend myself," he mopes. "Please?"

I sigh as I pull him off my back. "Fine, but if anything happens, I'm sending you straight back here, understand?"

He nods happily, a wide smile on his face. "Thanks, Link! I promise you won't regret it!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," I grumble, rolling my eyes at myself for being so stupid. I grab Kon's little doll body and stuff him into my bag. Then I bring my hands up, the Triforce on my hand shining brightly as I press my palms to the paper. Lights of all colors begin to burst from the diary, and I watch as my body is warped inside of the diary's pages.

The moon is still here, but it's reassuring to see that it's not a few minutes from falling like before –which means that Uzuki's suggestion to write a fake entry worked. But the moon is not too far away either, so I still don't have a lot of time. This is just like my journey in Termina – there's not a second to waste, because if I slack off even a little, I could die, and I could destroy this place all over again.

Kon climbs out from the bag, and in a burst of white smoke, he's in his human form. He stretches his arms out to the sky, and lets out a big yawn.

"Ah, I'm glad to be back in Hyrule again . . . even if that moon's still here," he sighs, scratching the back of his head. "So, what do you think we should do, Link?"

I ignore him for now, so that I can figure out where we are. We've somehow ended up in an alleyway; something tells me it's in eastern Castle Town. There are a few children and dogs running around here, but other than that, it's fairly quiet.

"Stay close, Kon," I tell him. "And if you can help it, don't interact with anyone. It could screw things up."

Kon laughs at me. "Yeah, it could screw things up worse than they already are."

"I'm not joking, Kon," I say seriously at him. "I don't suppose Uzuki hasn't taught you about the butterfly effect yet, huh?"

He shakes his head, keeping that clueless smile on his face.

"I didn't think so," I sigh. "I'll get her to teach it to you when we get back to the house."

Kon starts to walk with me. "I dunno, Uzuki's been in a bad mood for the past little while."

"Eh, probably just going through her time of the month . . ." I mumble, snickering to myself.

Kon stops. ". . . Her what?"

Oh. Seems like he doesn't know about _that_ either.

"Uh . . . nothing. You'll learn about it when you're older," I say, trying to hold back my laughter.

Kon starts to walk again, a look of uncertainty on his childish face.

"Whatever it is, I hope she gets better soon," he continues. "I don't like it when Uzuki wanders the house at night . . . it scares me."

"She always wanders the house at night, Kon," I sigh. "You should be used to that by now."

"Well, before it was alright, because she would just walk around in circles in the living room for an hour at most," he says. "But now she's been walking through the entire house, at really late hours. Sometimes she'll go to sleep first and then she'll get up after having a few hours of sleep. And sometimes she'll just start off walking in circles until everybody else is asleep, then she'll start wandering."

I feel like I shouldn't be worrying about this, but that nagging feeling has started to arise in the corner of my brain. Something's been bothering Uzuki; it's probably what's been putting her in those horrible moods.

"How long has she been doing this?" I ask him.

"A few years actually," Kon begins again.

"A few _years_?" I exclaim in awe.

"Well, it wasn't so bad the first year, but it's kind of been getting worse," he continues. "Whatever it is that's bugging her, it was probably bad at first, and has gotten worse since then. That's why she's in a worse mood now than she was those few years ago."

I hang my head down low and let out a stressful breath. Uzuki's always keeping secrets; I really should be used to it by now, but every time she hides something from me, I just get more and more aggravated with her.

"Is there anything else different you've noticed about her?" I ask him, a little worried to hear worse news than what he's already told me.

"Well, she hasn't been eating, but that's completely normal of Uzuki," Kon says. "And she's been drinking more. I've also noticed she has a bit of a nervous twitch . . ."

"A nervous twitch?"

"Yeah, kind of like the ones you can't control," Kon explains. "Like when you get a chill, only she has them a lot when she's sleeping, or just when she's sitting around the house. She had one while we were playing cards; she spilled half of her vodka cooler when it happened. Then she got up in a craze and went straight for her room."

Kon picks up a tiny pebble off the ground and throws it ahead of us. "Shuto and Yashiro don't know what's wrong either – even Mitsuhiro doesn't seem to know a thing. Shuto's been acting kind of funny too lately. He scratches his ears a lot. Mitsuhiro has been acting his usual self, but he's been a lot more protective of Uzuki since she started acting differently. Yashiro's still her usual self. I think everybody's just a little tense from what's going on right now."

Well, it seems Kon knows a lot about what's going on in the house. But that's to be expected, considering he never leaves. But I never knew about Shuto scratching his ears a lot, or Uzuki having nervous twitches and drinking more, or Mitsuhiro becoming overprotective of Uzuki. It seems the only person who's fine is the same one who's always unscathed by things – Yashiro. And I can assume Miu is alright too, considering she's a cat and doesn't do much around the house. But even she might have picked up on the changes in the atmosphere.

"You know, you really should tell me things like this a lot more," I grumble to Kon. He shrugs his shoulders at me.

"Well, it's hard to do that when you're barely around," he sighs.

I can give him that one. I'm never around the house much anymore – I'm always out on missions or training or doing something in the Realm of Light.

"Alright, fair enough," I reply. "But have you at least been doing anything to help out around home?"

He stares at me like I've said something idiotic.

"Of course, Link!" he exclaims to me, his eyes widening. "I've been trying my best, but it's hard! I mean, Shuto barely talks anymore, so it's hard to try to coax him when he's having a bad day; and Uzuki won't open up to _anyone_, no matter how hard we try; and Mitsuhiro is just too busy trying to keep Uzuki from killing herself to help anybody else!"

With a sigh, I pat Kon's head, rustling his blond hair under my hand. "Don't worry, it's not your fault or anything. We've just been having a few . . . hard times." _Even though I have no clue what the problems are with everybody else_, I think to myself in question.

Kon starts to rub his arms in a warming motion. "I hope everybody feels better soon, Link. I don't like to see them all so down. I think Miu, Yashiro and I are the only ones who aren't troubled by something."

"Really?" I ask with a laugh, raising my eyebrow at him in doubt. "Hmm, I'm sure there's gotta be _something_ that's troubling you. You can't be one hundred percent happy, especially with the crap we gotta put up with."

Kon laughs back at me. "Well, nothing _major,_ like everyone else. I think I'm mostly just troubled with the fact that everybody else is suffering and I'm feeling completely fine. It makes me feel a little guilty . . . or something like that."

"Hmm, I think I know how you feel," I agree with him.

We turn the corner of the alley, arriving in another path that's completely surrounded on both sides by houses like the last one. But when I see _her_ walking down the path from the other direction, straight towards us, her head down low and her eyes watching her feet, I pull Kon aside, and I'm soon carrying him as I scale up the side of a house onto the roof.

"Hey, what's the big deal?" Kon says. I shush him with a finger to my lips.

"Zelda's down there," I whisper to him. "We can't let her see us – it could affect the future in ways we wouldn't want it to."

Kon stares at me for a moment, thinking over my words, and then nods. We both lean over the roof, watching Zelda below as she stops and sits on the doorstep that belongs to the house we're sitting on top of.

"What's she doing here?" Kon asks me.

I shake my head in denial. "I don't know, Kon."

We continue to watch her, and a few minutes later, Makoto shows up as well, walking towards the spot where Zelda is sitting.

"That's-!" Kon begins, but I stop him. I know that Makoto has very strong hearing; Zelda does too, but thankfully she hasn't heard us yet.

Kon leans in really close to me. "I know him!" he whispers very softly, so softly that I can barely hear him myself. "I met him years ago, on my first mission when you sent me to Clock Town!"

"You did?" I whisper back. "He's Makoto Takahashi, of the Assassins. He's Yashiro's stepbrother too."

"He's kind of weird."

"Heh, and you haven't even seen him in battle yet," I snicker back to him. "Trust me – you haven't seen 'weird' yet at all."

Kon and I continue to watch the two people below. Makoto leans on the door of the house across from Zelda, and lights a cigarette. He breathes out a small cloud of smoke before he begins to speak.

"Seems we've got a new problem to deal with," he says, pointing upwards with his hand towards the sky. "Didn't think I'd actually get to see the moon that once terrorized Termina."

Kon pokes me to get my attention. "Yeah, I remember Makoto saying something about not being able to see the moon in Termina before you stopped it. He seemed a little disappointed."

"Disappointed because he didn't get to see _that_ thing?" I snicker, motioning my glance up to the moon above. "See, that's just the kind of 'weird' I'm talking about; Makoto's kind of odd that way."

"Yes, I've noticed the damn thing, dipshit," Zelda growls at Makoto. "You'd have to be blind _not_ to notice it – and even then, someone would have told a blind person about it."

Makoto laughs, and inhales more smoke from his cigarette. "So, what are we going to do about it?"

"Beats me," Zelda mumbles. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm hoping Link shows up before that thing destroys us. He's beaten that thing before, so with any luck, he should be able to do it again."

Makoto grumbles something under his breath, and then drops the cigarette to the ground, crushing it underneath his sneaker. "I guess I'll have to agree with you on that one, Zel; he may be a pain in the ass, but at least he'll have some clue as to how to get rid of that thing."

"How close do you think it is to falling?"

Makoto looks up to the sky. Kon and I pull back so that he doesn't see us. He's silent for a moment.

"Hard to say," he finally says. "It looks pretty close to me. Just a few days ago it was much further – it's gotten close really fast. So hopefully those noobs that call themselves Time Keepers show up soon, or we'll have some serious shit on our hands."

Wow. So he _does _call us noobs. That's a little humiliating, even though I'm not quite so sure what it means.

I guess I can relieve them a little bit. Showing myself to them probably won't change anything too much – I can at least warn Zelda about what's going to happen if I fail again.

I bring myself forward on the roof, and I whistle down at them. "Hey, up here!" I call.

Makoto and Zelda both look up at me in surprise.

"Well, what do you know," Makoto laughs. "An eavesdropping noob."

"How long have you been up there?" Zelda asks me.

"Eh, long enough," I mutter.

Makoto eyes Kon for a few moments. "Hey, I remember you."

"Same here," Kon says back.

"I'm guessing U.K. was actually Uzuki Kasahara's signature, huh?" he laughs at him. "United Knights my ass."

Kon smiles at him. "Hey, I didn't want to tell you Uzuki's name in case you knew her when she was alive. It seems I was right."

"What are you two talking about?" I ask them.

Kon and Makoto both smile at me teasingly. "Oh, nothing," they both say.

Makoto steps forward, and points up above me, to the moon that's hanging over my head like an angel of death. "So, you here to take care of this thing?"

"Actually, Hyrule's already been destroyed by that 'thing'," I tell them. I might as well be up front about it – there's no point in keeping secrets from them considering they both know how to read auras and can easily tell if I'm lying.

"Oh?" Makoto asks. "Then why am I still standing here?"

Zelda scoffs at the both of us. "He must have used that Time Gate. So this has already happened, has it, Link?"

"Yeah, and I saved your sorry ass to boot," I growl angrily at her. "You ungrateful little witch."

"What did she do now?" Makoto laughs.

"Listen, Zelda, I came back in time because I want to stop this thing from falling," I begin, ignoring Makoto's rude comment. "The first time I saw this thing was back, it was just a few minutes from falling. I only managed to save you, Vincent, and Yuuki."

"_What_?" Zelda yells.

_See, I knew she'd get upset,_ I think angrily.

"You were pretty pissed that I didn't save your kingdom while I was at it," I snicker. "That's why I'm back here, using the Time Gate, so that I can stop all this destruction from happening – and so I can stop you from getting into a fistfight with me," I add with a laugh.

Makoto claps his hands. "Alright, Zel, great job! Fistfights are good."

I jump off the roof, landing on the pavement below right in front of Zelda, and then Kon lands right behind me.

"Now, I only have a few hours to fix this," I tell her. "Whatever the circumstances, Zelda, make sure you continue the day you would normally, in case I need to save you again." Then I smirk at her; my smile seems to set her off-guard. "Although, now that I know I can use the Time Gate, I don't think there will be any need to save you if I fail – I'll ultimately succeed in the end, so you'll still get to keep your precious little face."

It sounds cruel, sure, but it's not like she treats me with any respect either.

Zelda glares at me. "You sure have a lot of nerve talking like that around me," she says. "But I guess you're right. Don't bother saving me if you're not going to save my kingdom either."

Wow, she sure has guts challenging me like that. But it's what I'm probably going to do in the long run anyway. Saving Zelda will only happen if I can keep this moon from falling; now that she knows the situation, she probably won't come with me if I try to save her again.

"But wait, where are you even going to start?" Makoto asks me. "I mean, how are you supposed to get rid of something _that_ big? Blow it up with a bomb?"

"That's something I'm not so sure of yet," I reply. "Back when I was in Termina and this exact same thing was happening, it was the Four Giants that helped me out. I defeated Majora's Mask – it was the Giants who took care of the moon. They prevented it from falling into the town. But here in Hyrule, I wouldn't have two clues as to how I would get rid of it. There are no guardians around Hyrule that could prevent the moon from crashing."

Zelda and Makoto both sigh.

"Well, as long as you figure out something," Makoto says. "Even if the moon crashes again, as long as you get your ass out of there, you can still save this place."

I nod. "I'll try my best. And if you two can think of some way to help, please, don't hesitate to do so."

They both nod at me.

"I have to be getting to the Academy now," Zelda says. "Good luck, Link." Then she turns around and walks in the other direction, down the alleyway.

Makoto walks towards me, pulling a gun out from his belt. He holds it up to my neck, his finger just resting on the trigger. Kon and I both freeze.

"Listen up, fairy boy," Makoto hisses. "Sadly for me, I can't do a damn thing to stop this apocalypse from happening. So it's all up to you."

I smile at him. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but . . . you can count on me, Makoto."

Makoto gags. "Gah, say that again and I'll fucking tear you apart!" he yells. Then he sighs, and shakes his head. "You'd better not fuck up, Fairy Boy."

I smirk at him, and I give him a thumbs-up.

"Cheesy fuck," Makoto growls at me. "Go on, get out of here. You need to stop that beautiful thing up there." He takes out his gun and shoots a bullet just a centimeter from my foot, causing me to jump. "Go on, get out of here!"

I turn around and I start running down the alleyway in the other direction, the sound of bullets trailing behind me.

"Listen up old man, I'm getting so sick of your bullshit."

"I do not know what you're talking about."

"Oh, so you have no idea how that moon got back up in that sky?"

"No."

"You didn't get a certain mask taken away from you or anything?"

"Are you trying to imply that that moon is my fault?"

"We can do this the hard way or the easy way. It's your choice."

The masked salesman keeps that calm grin on his face, his hands clamped together on the counter in front of him.

"I can guarantee you, I have all my masks with me," he says innocently.

Great, my headache is coming back. I rub my forehead to try and soothe it, but I can't help but start to panic inside my head; this guy is wasting my time.

"Let me cut to the chase," I growl at him. "Majora's Mask. Are you still in possession of it?"

"Oh, that mask? Yes, I am. I'm sorry to tell you that it's not for sale, though."

"I could care less," I sneer. "Do you have it someplace safe?"

"It's in the backroom with all the others."

_Note to self,_ I think to myself. _Bring Oni next time so that he can destroy the damn thing._

"Keep it in a safe place," I tell the man. "Don't show it to anybody, don't take it with you anywhere, and don't give it away."

"I don't really know why you're taking such precautions," the man hesitates.

I lean forward and grab the man by his shirt collar, pulling him in closer so that he can see how serious my eyes are.

"You don't remember me, do you?"

The man's grin has disappeared, and a look of panic has risen in its place.

"I'm that little kid that got back your precious mask a long time ago," I hiss. "I'm that kid that you made search high and low for the damn thing; and you only gave me _three flipping days_."

The man stares at me in shock. "O-Oh . . . excuse me, sir," he says, his voice shaky in fear. "I apologize for not recognizing you earlier."

I release his shirt collar, and I lean back, separating the distance between us again. "Then we understand each other. Do as I say – keep that mask hidden."

The man nods, and the smile doesn't come back on his face before I'm at the door, leaving his little shop that has been cursed with happiness.

The man seemed a little different than usual, though. His smile was as normal as ever, as was his voice and his appearance, but . . .

He's never forgotten my face before.

**A Short Interlude**

The masked salesman, with his constant grin, turns around and heads into the backroom of his shop, where the masked man is sitting on a cardboard box, his eyes wild with anticipation and satisfaction.

"Please . . . let me go . . ." the salesman cries to the masked man. "My head . . . it hurts . . ."

"You prove to be quite useful, little rat," the man snickers as he stands up from the box. "I wouldn't have been able to accomplish any of this without that mask of yours. Now I know Link Nohansen Hyrule is here in the city." He reaches behind the box and pulls out Majora's Mask. He puts it on his face, replacing the one he had been wearing earlier.

"You know, you really ought to stop travelling through the woods alone," the man laughs at the salesman, who's collapsed to the floor and is trying to soothe the pain in his head. "If you didn't have this mask with you, I would have taken your head instead."

There's a ring of a bell from the main room of the shop.

"Oh look, another customer," the man laughs. He waves his hand out from his body. The salesman, without any will to do so, stands up from the floor, despite the pain in his head. "Now go; and don't tell anybody what has happened these past few days."

The salesman's body turns around like a puppet, and heads back into the main room to greet the new customer.

The man with the mask cracks his knuckles, and licks his teeth, removing the blood from its surfaces.

"Now, to get rid of Link Nohansen Hyrule."

**Chapter 25 (continued) **

When I'm outside, I stretch my arms out, and sigh. "Well, Kon, looks like he's as useless as usual."

"That guy was kind of creepy," Kon says nervously.

"Heh, tell me about it," I snicker. "Kon, promise me you won't ever become like him."

"I don't think you'll have to worry about that . . . "

I look up into the sky. The moon is getting closer. I probaly only have a couple hours left.

Looking around the main square of Hyrule Castle Town, I realize that there are a lot more people around here than there should be. And they're all scrambling around more than usual.

"Hey, what's with all the rushing?" I ask a random person who's not running around like they got their head cut off.

"What, are you blind?" the man mocks me. "That moon is going to crash right in the middle of this place! Everybody's stocking up on food and supplies!"

"Where are they all going?"

"Some are headed to Kakariko, but I doubt those people will make it there in time. Others are taking refuge in the underground safe house."

"Underground safe house?" I ask. "Since when?"

"Beats me. I didn't even know about it until today. Apparently the Royal Family built a safe place underneath the city, for emergencies like these."

_Zelda never told me anything about this_, I think, growing a little worried about how many things that girl could be hiding from me. But then it hits me; she may not even had known about it either. She spends so much time at the Academy and with the Assassins, after all. The Royal Family could have kept that a secret from her.

"Is that where you're headed?" I ask the man.

"Of course," he says. "I don't know how well the safe house will work, but it's worth a try; it's better than just standing out here and letting myself get squashed by that thing."

"I guess that's all you can do," I sigh. "Well, I might see you down there as well. Until then, just . . . don't go near anybody wearing black robes, alright?"

The man gives me a look of confusion and wonder. "Um . . . sure thing, buddy. If it'll help me live another day," he laughs. Then he waves goodbye and turns around with his bag of food and clothes, merging into the rest of the crowd as they scramble through the city square.

Kon pops out of my bag. "Do you think the underground hideout will work?" he asks me.

I shake my head. "It won't work," I hiss quietly, so that no one can hear my cruel words. "Everyone will still die anyway if I don't do something."

Kon rests his head on my shoulder. "It seems sad that their trying to fight for their life, even though they can't win."

"I know, Kon, I know," I sigh, patting his blond hair. I start to make my way through the crowd, being careful not to get pushed over or stepped on or yelled at for being in the way. It really is sad, to see all these people running around, trying to fight for their lives, completely obvlivious to the fact that their lives are in my hands.

Kon and I remain in the same spot in the square, watching people as they push past us. After a few minutes, Kon speaks up.

"Link, we should get moving . . . we'll never find the answer to stopping that moon if we just stand here."

"Just a minute," I say to him quickly as I continue to observe the people around me. All of them look the same, with their panicked faces and their bags filled with supplies . . . except for one. One is just standing there, dressed in a black robe. I can't see his eyes, or his face for that matter. He's the one with the cuts on his arms, and the white hair that's pushed out from behind the mask.

He's the one who's wearing Majora's Mask.

**A Short Interlude**

Shuto takes another tissue and wipes the excess blood from Uzuki's eye.

"I thought you said it would stop bleeding," Uzuki growls at him.

"I said it _should_," Shuto argues. "I didn't say it _would_." He throws the bloody tissue into the trash. "You can't expect it _not_ to bleed, Uzuki; messing around with it this much, I wouldn't be surprised if you went blind in this eye in another few years."

Uzuki scratches the skin near her bleeding eye. "Why is it bleeding so much?"

"Uzuki, I put a bloody computer inside of it!" Shuto yells at her. "Why do you think it's bleeding so much?"

Uzuki sighs. "Can you ever get it to _stop _bleeding?"

Shuto picks up a needle, and places the tip against Uzuki's skin. "I don't know. But I'm going to try my best."

Then he inserts the needle into Uzuki's skin, and within a matter of seconds, the world blacks out from Uzuki's eyes.

**Chapter 25 (continued)**

It seems Ikkashi wants to play a game of cat and mouse. And I'm the mouse this time, as usual. He's managed to chase me all the way to western Castle Town, into the alleyways.

But I'm even more pissed off with that masked salesman. The guy lied to me, and somehow Ikkashi managed to get the mask from the guy. I should have seen it coming – that guy is slimier than the drug dealers that run through the streets at night.

"Link, who was that guy?" Kon whispers from my bag.

"Ssh," I hiss at him angrily. "I'll tell you later, I just need you to be-"

A bloody knife lands right by my neck, wedging right into the wood of the house that's right behind me. I look at the knife's surface – it's ragged, and has a lot of blood stains. Somebody doesn't seem to prefer cleaning their blades when they're done using them. I grab the knife out from the wood of the house before spotting Ikkashi, where he's standing on the roof of the house across from me in the tiny alleyway.

"You'd better watch it, Ikkashi," I yell up at him. "If you had aimed an y better, I could have thought you were trying to kill me."

I can't see his face from behind Majora's Mask, but I know he's smiling underneath it. It's just as well that I can't see him smile; his smiles severely creep me out.

"What do you think of my new mask?" Ikkashi asks me. "Quite fitting, don't you think?"

I smirk at him teasingly, and I chuck the knife back up at him. It lands on top of the roof, next to his feet. "I dunno," I mutter. "I think it looked better on the Skull Kid."

Ikkashi raises his head into the air, and then releases the loudest, most ear-piercing scream I've ever heard since fighting the Skull Kid.

No, scratch that. Kronoa made a similar scream once before. Ikkashi's isn't quite the same. It's a bit lower, not as high-pitched, but it still hurts the ears. Then he lifts his hand into the air, and closes it into a fist, pulling his hand down as if pulling down the handle of a curtain.

The ground begins to tremble beneath my feet, and I look up to see the moon's horrific face coming closer to me.

Insulting him may not have been the best idea.

"Watch your kingdom burn, Link Nohansen Hyrule!" Ikkashi roars.

All I have to do is stop Ikkashi and the moon will stop falling. Well, I'm hoping it's as simple as that. All I have to do is make sure it stops falling; I can worry about how to get it out of the sky later.

I take out a smoke bomb and fling it to the ground. It bursts into a huge cloud of white smoke, filling up the entire alleyway and hiding me inside as well. Common sense and my sense of feel is the only way I'm going to be able to make it up to where Ikkashi is standing. I know that I was standing directly across from him, so I quickly move forward, until my hands feel the surface of the house that was across from me. I bring my feet up to the house, and charge up the side of it. I guess I'll just jump Ikkashi and try to take that mask off him before he can cause any more damage.

I'm just about ready to tackle him when his hands fly forward and wrap their fingers around my neck.

"Futile attempts, fairy!" he screams, his voice as sharp as acid.

I want to claw at his hands, try to release them from around my neck, but instead I bring one hand up and strike him in the face, knocking the mask off. It skids away from us, and with the mask gone, I can finally see his eyes. His pupils have expanded into round circles.

Aurar-reading eyes.

That's how he was able to see me so quickly. He saw me run towards him using his eyes.

And I thought Uzuki was the only aura-reading Reaper I would ever meet.

Ikkashi and I immediately lock our eyes on the mask that's just sitting there a few meters away from us. He takes one of his hands away from my neck and blasts it into my face, pushing me down into the roof of the house.

_Stay down_! his voice screams inside of my head. Then he's on his feet and about to head straight for the mask.

_Dex! Dex?_ I'm trying to call Dex, but my head is pounding, and I can only hear Ikkashi's screams in my head, ordering me to stay down. I can barely even lift my body, and when I do, I can only manage a low crawl.

A sudden spine-tingling pain surges through my body, adding to the pain I'm already feeling in my head. Shadows suddenly burst out of my body, and I watch as Dex's body is formed in front of me. He does a dive for Ikkashi, and grabs his ankle, pulling the man to the ground.

"Oh no, you don't!" Dex yells. "Get out of Link's head! That's where _I _belong!"

Ikkashi looks back and kicks Dex in the face with his other foot, knocking him away. Ikkashi grabs the mask, and is about to put it on his face, but Dex is quicker, and whips a chain out at Ikkashi's arm. He pulls his arm down with the metal chain. He starts to pull Ikkashi closer, bit by bit, putting more strength into his pulls each time.

Ikkashi reaches into his pocket with his other hand, and flings a handful of sharp needles straight for Dex. Dex immediately releases the chain so that he can bend backwards, like an acrobat with no spine. The needles fly above him, and thankfully, they make it past me before they hit the ground.

"Get out of Link's body, now!" Dex yells at Ikkashi as he pulls his chain back to his hands. "And hand over that goddamn mask! I am getting so sick of seeing that thing!"

Ikkashi laughs to himself, and looks up at the moon, which looks like it could hit any minute. He raises his hand to his forehead, and gives a goodbye gesture, before disappearing completely, his body reforming into itself, a small shadow portal.

Dex freezes in his place. "Oh shit! That guy can teleport?"

"Dex! How did you get out here?" I ask him agitatedly as I get up off the ground. My body doesn't feel as heavy as it did when Ikkashi was here.

"I'm not," Dex sighs. "My body is back in the Dark Realm. My soul was inside yours, minding its own business, when that Ikkashi guy butt in. He kicked me out of your body, so I was forced to take on a spiritual form outside of it."

"So . . . you didn't really have to dodge those needles, did you?"

Dex smiles, and shrugs his shoulders. "Meh. Sometimes I forget things will go right through me when I'm in spiritual form. I'm not in this form often enough, so it takes a while to get used to."

The ground starts to shake even more violently, as the moon grows nearer.

"Hey, Dex, can we chat later? I kinda need to make it back to the Time Gate portal; otherwise, I'll _die_."

Dex smirks at me. "No prob, buddy. I'll be back in your body lickity-shit."

_It's lickity-split, Dex, not lickity . . . ah, never mind. _

Dex kicks his toe against the ground once before his body turns into a stream of black and white, clothes and skin. The stream floats over to me and then enters my body, soaking into my skin like water.

_Alright, I'm fine,_ Dex says reassuringly. _Now, get your ass out of here; before you get us both killed. _

I make sure Kon is still in my bag. He looks pretty terrified, but fine none of the less. I break into a sprint, leaping across the rooftops, back to the rooftop that's in eastern Castle Town. And every few seconds, as I'm running across the rooftops, in the opposite direction of the scrambling people, I catch sight of the moon's evil eyes, as it watches everybody below suffer and scream for their lives.

I spot the portal the moment I make it into the eastern side of the city. I push myself to go faster, using that last bit of speed I have left, to make it to the portal.

When I jump inside, I get only one last glance of the moon's monstrous form in the flaming red sky crash into the kingdom below.


	26. Wednesday    Again and Again

Hey guys,

I kind of got confused with what chapters I had submitted, and I've actually had this chapter ready for quite some time now . . . anyway, here's chapter 26; hopefully if all goes well chapter 27 should be up soon too :)

-Uzuki Cheverie

**Time Gate: The Adult Chapters**

**A Short Interlude**

_Time to wake up, Uzuki_.

Uzuki grumbles something under her breath and rolls over in her bed.

_Get up, Uzuki!_

"No . . ." Uzuki mumbles.

_Don't make me drag you out myself! You know I will!_

"Piss off . . . I don't care . . ."

_Alright, you asked for it!_

Suddenly, a wave of pain sweeps through Uzuki's body like a chill, needles of pain striking her skin and innards and forcing her awake.

"I said piss off!" Uzuki yells at herself, completely awake now. "You're annoying!"

_Just save yourself the complaining and get off your ass!_

Uzuki sighs and pulls herself off the couch, lies on the floor for a few moments, and then gets up to her feet and heads to the kitchen.

"There, I'm up, see?" Uzuki asks.

_Go get some coffee_, orders the voice. _Then I'll know for sure._

"Ugh, fine," she grumbles as she stumbles into the kitchen. She looks out the small window that's above the sink, staring at the forest line past the tiny field. She opens the cupboard and pulls out a mug and ground coffee beans. Then she puts a kettle filled with water on top of the stove to heat it up. While she waits for the water to boil, she continues to look out the window, taking notice of the dark green grass, the golden clouds, the healthy-looking trees, and the darkness of the forest that resides behind them. But it's an uplifting type of darkness, like the darkness of the Kokiri Forest, with the floating and faint orbs of colorful light that resembled the fairies, and the grass that swayed so lightly in the wind that it looked like it was floating.

The kettle on the stove finally goes off, steam rising form the spout. Uzuki lifts it off the stove and pours the hot water into the cup, adding the coffee as she pours. When she's done adding water and coffee, she adds a little bit of milk and two-and-a-half teaspoons of sugar.

Uzuki takes a sip from her coffee, and smiles with the surprisingly satisfying taste. She drinks her coffee as she walks into the living room, staring at her feet as she walks. Then she lifts her head, and looks out the living room window. And within that same split second, she hits the floor, dropping her coffee mug and sending the drink flying across the floor.

Her body shaking nervously, she gets to her knees and slowly crawls on her hands and knees towards the other side of the window. She doesn't want to look outside again – she doesn't want to see the cloudless sky, the black dead-looking grass, the spiny, lifeless trees . . . and the tree with the tentacles flying from behind its body.

_Damn, it finally found me_ . . . Uzuki thinks angrily to herself. _It sure couldn't have better timing . . . but why would it wait so long?_

With her heart pounding and her teeth grinding together in fear, Uzuki stays on the floor, knowing that she has to get up, but knowing that if she does, he'll just be standing closer to the window, staring her down like a prowler ready to strike, until he's inside the house and impaling her with its tentacles.

_Goddammit . . ._ she thinks to herself as her eyes begin to water. _I don't . . . I don't know how to deal with this! Dammit! _Memories of her old friends begin to play through her head, targeting two friends in particular – Saichi Durami and Mikumi Jishiru – and remember their obsession with the creature who was now staring her down.

_Has he gotten to Saichi and Mikumi yet? He must have, if he's coming after me now . . . Dammit, what do I do? If I stay here, I'm trapped! If I get up, he'll be there waiting to kill me! What would Saichi do? What would Saichi . . ._

_Saichi would hug the damn thing,_ Uzuki suddenly realizes as she makes a look of disgust, realizing she was depending on the wrong person for advice on how to deal with this creature. She looks up from the floor and begins to crawl away from the window, but soon lowers her face to the floor and looks at her hands as she crawls. As much as she wants to, she doesn't dare look back; she knows the demon will just be standing closer.

Indeed, Uzuki's worse fear had finally caught up to her. The same creature that she thought of constantly as a human. The same creature that immediately came into her mind whenever she heard the Kyodai no Akuma's name.

The Fairy Tree Man.

Sure, to others, it was just a ghost story to tell around the campfire. But to Uzuki, it was a threat, and took away a lot of peace for her at night. It was what caused almost all of her nightmares when she was alive; and a few as a Reaper.

Uzuki continues to crawl, until she's in the hallway, when she hears a strange sound – the sound of something breathing heavily. She slowly turns her neck around, and becomes completely speechless when she sees the other creature that she's so familiar with, with its white, hairless body that makes it look like a naked dog, and its claws on the ends of its front hands. She stares at it, her eyes locked with its white glowing orbs of eyes, the creature panting as the saliva falls from its mouth like that of a diseased animal.

Then the creature raises its hind end, ready to pounce, and Uzuki screams a glass-shattering scream. She begins to claw at her bedroom door, reaching for the doorknob, her legs weak and wobbly like jelly and making it excruciatingly hard for her to get to her feet, even as the creature charges towards her. Uzuki's fingers drag down the wood in half-second intervals, clawing at the wood like a rat trying to break free from its cage, until she finally finds the doorknob and twists it open. The door swings open, and she lands hard on her hands. Then she looks up to see the original threat looking down on her, with its faceless head and tentacle arms.

Then, as the blood explodes from Uzuki's nose and mouth, the darkness swarms around her eyes, and she falls over to her side like a dead horse, the world blacking out around her.

* * *

Mitsuhiro opens the door of the house, when he sees Uzuki sprawled on the floor, a pool of blood underneath her face. He drops the food he had been carrying and rushes to Uzuki, screaming her name.

"Uzuki!" he cries as he gets to his knees and examines her face, the blood seeping from her mouth and nose. He reaches to lift her head, but then he stops, worrying that if he moves her it will just make things worse. Then he sees her hands. When he lifts them, he can closer examine her fingers, where her fingernails are broken in some areas, and some are completely ripped off. Then he sees the scrapes in the wood of her door, and he manages to put two and two together.

_She was trying to get into her room . . ._ he thinks to himself. _But she must have been panicking . . . was something chasing her?_

Mitsuhiro checks the rest of her, but only finds the blood trickling from her face and her scraped off fingernails as the major damage to her body. But just to be safe, he takes out his C.T. crystal and calls Shuto. When Shuto's face appears on the screen, Mitsuhiro suddenly bursts into hysterics as he tells him what he found.

"Whoa, whoa, slow down, Mitsuhiro!" Shuto stops. "You found Uzuki _where_?"

"She's here, in the house, but she's in bad shape!" Mitsuhiro gasps. "Her fingernails are all scuffed off and there's blood coming out of her nose and mouth! You've gotta get over here!"

Shuto nods. "I'll be there as soon as I can. Until then, just . . . get her off the floor and set her on the table in the kitchen."

"Is it alright for me to lift her? I mean, there's a lot of blood coming out of her face right now . . ."

"The worst thing we can do for her right now is leave her lying there, Mitsuhiro. Just do it."

Mitsuhiro nods, and turns off his crystal. He gently begins to lift Uzuki up, keeping her head tilted back so that no more blood can come out, and sets her as softly as he can on the kitchen table. Then he grabs a rag and cleans the blood off her face and fingers. Then he sits down in the chair next to her, and squeezes her hand in his as he stares at her unconscious face, a little stream of blood still trickling out her mouth.

_What could have caused this? _Mitsuhiro thinks to himself in wonder. _It couldn't have been someone from the Society . . . they would have just killed her on the spot, or taken her away. Whoever it was wasn't looking to kill her . . ._

Mitsuhiro groans in defeat and gets up from his chair, gently kissing Uzuki's forehead before going to grab the food that he had dropped. He picks up the bags of bread and cans of fruit, and then proceeds to stack them neatly in the cupboard. When he's done, he heads to the living room to wait for Shuto, when he sees the puddle of coffee on the living room floor, near the window. He bends down to pick up the cup, and stares at the spilled coffee for a few moments, thinking over the possibilities of what could have happened. He looks at the coffee, and then he looks out the window.

_Did she see something out the window? Gah, I told her having a large window in the living room wouldn't do us any good, but she didn't listen . . . _

With a sigh, Mitsuhiro turns around and heads back to the kitchen, just missing the brief lashing of the whip-like tentacles behind one of the trees in the forest across from the window.

**Chapter 26: Wednesday . . . Again and Again**

"Kon, what the hell is _he_ doing here?"

"How should I know? I'm not some kind of fortune teller!"

Kon and I peer around the corner at the two Reapers that are sitting at the counter, both of them enjoying big glasses of what looks like rum. I recognize the one on the right. It's Grimmex, the one that chased me through the Academy after I saved Uzuki, when the Reapers invaded the school. But I've never seen the other one before. He has long blond hair that separates at his shoulders, and the rest of it is bunched into two separate, long ponytails. Placed at the elastic bands that hold his ponytails and near his scalp are feathers of light, matching colors; it almost makes him look less of a Reaper and more of an Angel.

"Why did we come here anyway?" Kon asks angrily. "Are you expecting to find the answer to stopping the moon in a _bar_?"

I shake my head at him. "I was hoping I could find one of the Assassins, or even Ikkashi so that I could get back at him for taking over my head the first time we fought."

Kon sits back against the wall, and joins me as we watch the two Reapers talk at the counter, completely alone. Besides us, they're the only ones here.

"Hey, Grimm, you ever think about what Saru said? About Ganondorf tossing us aside after we revive him?" the blond-haired one starts.

Grimmex lets out a groan, and then takes a long sip from his rum. He smashes the nearly-empty glass against the counter.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to listen to Saru?" he growls. "He's a bull-shitter, Viscen; you should know better than to listen to what he has to say."

_So that's Viscen,_ I think. _Mitsuhiro mentioned him earlier. _

_I remember him, _Dex says. _He's from Luxerus' squad, so he's decently strong. He's also a summoner._

_A summoner? What do you mean by that?_

_He summons creatures to do his battles for him. Some say he can even summon Death himself._

_Wouldn't Death just be a normal old Reaper?_

_No, Link – Death is the KING of the Reapers. He's the one that created all life for the Dark Realm. He's the big guy you don't want to mess with. It's taboo in some places to even mention his name. _

_So . . . if he's the King of the Reapers, why hasn't he done anything to stop the Society? Even he's gotta think what they're doing is wrong._

_Who knows? It's best not to ask him though. Chances are, Jun and Iwata are just bringing Ganondorf back so that they can kick Death out. They got another thing coming though if they think that's going to happen. _Then he laughs to himself.

"Grimmex, have you ever thought about how they treat us at the Society? We're basically their puppets," Viscen sighs. "Look at it this way – what value does the Realm of Light hold to us? Why is destroying this land going to make things any better? Don't you think the Dark Realm is doing fine already?"

Grimmex spits at the floor when the bartender isn't looking. "We can show these humans who rules."

"The humans already know that death is superior!" Viscen argues, his voice rising. "They know that, eventually, they will die! Whether they become Angels, Fallen Angels, dust, or Reapers, they will still die! What they become in the afterlife is based on their actions throughout their first life!"

Grimmex's face is twisted with anger and rage now, but he manages to keep his voice down when replying, "Puppets or not, we must do what the Society wishes, so that we can resurrect Ganon. The Society will not let you escape from them."

"Saru's already done it, Grimmex! The only reason he's still hanging around is because he wants the Society to believe that he's still acting as a Reaper on their side! Ichiru has also joined Saru!"

"I don't want to hear any more about it, Viscen! Shut your mouth now before you get us both killed!"

Viscen grumbles something under his breath, and I'm lucky enough to make it out.

"Once Saru finds Link, we'll be much better off."

_Wait a minute . . . does that mean Saru is on my side?_ It seems a little farfetched to me, but I guess it does make sense. Saru never seemed to act like the other Reapers around me. He never drew his weapon, never attacked me (the furthest extent of his malice was when he chased me through the school) and even then back at the Academy he let me free.

What is Saru trying to accomplish by befriending me?

Viscen gets up from the barstool, and places a handful of rupees on the counter for the bartender.

"I don't want to hear you yak on like a mindless dog," Viscen sneers. "I'm heading out. Do what you want; just don't blame me when the Society sticks a sword up your fat ass."

Then he turns around and walks away from his Reaper companion, straight toward us. It's a huge risk, but when he's out of the bar, I decide to approach him. When I grab him by the shoulder, his skin twitches underneath his robe. He snaps his neck back to see who's suddenly grabbed him, and his eyes widen in shock when he sees that it's me.

"You . . . !" he gasps, pulling himself away from me. "You're . . . you're the Hero of Time! . . . Are you here to challenge me?"

I shake my head at his question. "I sort of eavesdropped on you and Grimmex in the bar," I tell him. "So, you're a friend of Saru's?"

He seems a little taken off-guard, but he soon answers the question anyway. "Y-Yes, I am, but . . . what are you doing here?"

I point up to the sky. It requires no more explanation, because he smirks, and nods.

"Figured," Viscen laughs. "Sorry about that moon, but I really have no control. It was all Ikkashi's doing."

"I know. He's somehow gotten his hands on Majora's Mask," I say.

"Have you already encountered him?"

"I've been, uh . . . travelling through time a little," I mutter. He immediately understands what I'm talking about; everybody in the Society knows about the Time Gate after all.

"I see . . . that's a relief," Viscen says happily. "I was beginning to worry we would be forced to destroy this place."

"You don't seem as evil as the others," I snicker. "Why all the rebellion?"

"I'm the same as you – I don't like all the horrible things that the Society is doing," he explains. "Saru and Ichiru have already taken action; both of them sneak out of the castle a lot so that they can plan their own war against the Society."

"Saru's that red-haired one, right?"

"Heh, yeah, the ginger. Ichiru is his friend, from Jun's squad. He's quite the fellow, but he's fighting in secret with Saru as well. I plan to join them now too – especially now that I've met you. Saru's been dying to talk to you."

"He should have better ways of contacting me," I laugh. "Last time we met, he chased me through the hallways at the Academy."

Viscen smiles. "Hmm, well, at least now you'll know not to run off screaming whenever he shows up. Saru's a good guy, no doubt about it. And Ichiru is just as righteous when it comes to the right choice."

"I can say that I do agree with you," I say. "You know, the whole 'Society puppets' thing."

"It was a perfect example of their using us when you slaughtered Ixion," Viscen says seriously. "But Saru and I forgive you none of the less. She was a good person, but like the others, she had been tainted by the Society's ways."

"I'm still sorry about that," I apologize, my voice low in regret. "Even I didn't want to kill her . . ."

"She wanted to die anyway," Viscen sighs. "You did her a great service by killing her. You freed her from our leaders' horrible ways. Although, I wish I could say the same for her sister. Xixion isn't going to treat you very nicely now, you know."

"Yeah, my friends warned me about that," I mumble; now I _really_ regret killing Ixion. "I think Xixion is the one I'm going to have to watch out for now."

Viscen looks up at the sky. "I should get moving now, Link. I'll tell Saru that we talked. I may even get him to drop by your house later, if he has the time, and if he can sneak out without being caught."

His words cause me to tense up a little. "Wait, you know where our house is?" I ask sternly.

"Don't worry, only Saru and Ichiru know," he assures me. "Jun and Iwata and all the rest of the Reapers on the Society's side don't know where it is. Whoever built it put it in a good spot; the Skeleton Woods are as delusional as the Lost Woods."

I sigh in relief. As long as only the rebels in the Society know where our house is, it's fine; but if that information leaks out and makes it to Jun and Iwata's ears, the Time Keepers and I are going to have a serious problem.

Viscen pulls the hood of his robe over his head, tucking his ponytails inside underneath it as well, and begins to wave goodbye, but I stop him for one more question before he leaves.

"Wait, there's something else that's been bugging me," I begin.

"Hmm? What is it?"

"How are you out in the sunlight? It's the middle of the day, and you're in your Reaper form."

Viscen stares at me for a moment, and then sighs in defeat, as if he didn't want to tell me the answer to my question. He raises his sleeve, and holds his arm out for me to examine.

"Link, when you're possessed by a demon, you can survive in the sunlight in your Reaper form," he begins to explain. I peer down at his skin, and I see the black thorns that are growing around his arm like vines. "Back when the Kyodai no Akuma was with us – when Mitsuhiro Minamimoto came to us – Ikkashi took the opportunity to take some of Mitsuhiro's blood. Just recently, he concentrated it and made enough so that he could inject all of us with a little bit of Mitsuhiro's demon powers. We don't have the demon inside of us, but we do have some of its power. A lot of us walk around in our Reaper forms now. It helps to use our powers in the daylight; not to mention our family members don't see us, if they're still alive."

It takes me a second to soak in all the information he's given me, but it still seems to make sense either way. I had this feeling in my gut that even though we succeeded in taking Mitsuhiro back, the Society would still have a Plan B.

Viscen salutes me. "As I was saying, I have to leave, before Luxerus starts getting suspicious. He never likes us to be . . . out of his sight."

"Thanks for the information, Viscen," I tell him. "It's a little comforting now that I know even a few of our _enemies_ are on our side too."

Viscen smiles. "Well, don't get too comfortable. Some of us are still backstabbing traitors." He rolls his sleeves back down over his thorn-covered arms. "Oh, and by the way – if you need any more reassurance about what's going on, Saru's in western Castle Town. I suggest you go to him before that thing in the sky falls. He might be able to help you out." Then he turns around and takes off like a wild dog, running down the alleyway so fast that he's completely gone from my sight in less than a few seconds.

_Saru, huh?_ I think, trying to bring up Dex so I can talk to him about the situation. _I guess it's worth a shot_.

_I think it's about time we found out what that ginger's story is anyway, _Dex laughs. _I'm getting kind of sick of seeing him everywhere._

_Tell me about it_.

* * *

When we're in western Castle Town, I immediately find Saru when I see his red ponytail near the fortune teller's house. He's sitting on the bench outside of the house, reading a comic book, and wearing headphones over his ears. When I look closer, I notice that he has fairy ears like mine. That's a little odd.

"You," I mutter when I'm standing in front of him. I snap my fingers in front of his face, in case he didn't hear me because of the music playing in his ears. He looks up to see who's talking to him, and nearly jumps out of his skin.

"Shit!" he yells. "What the hell are you doing here, Fairy Boy? There are Reapers everywhere – you can't just walk around like you own the fucking place!"

"Hmm, you seem a little worried about me," I laugh. "I heard the story from Viscen. Apparently you guys are on my side now?"

Saru sets his comic book on the empty spot of the bench, and pulls his headphones down so that they're resting on his shoulders – it gives me a better view of his twilight-stained fairy ears. So he's a Twili after all . . . mixed with Reaper blood?

I hear just a second of the strange, god-awful music that's playing out of the headphones before he hits the PAUSE button on his music player.

"Well, that saves me a lot of talking then," Saru laughs. "You didn't let any of the other Reapers see you, right? Grimmex is here too . . . if he sees you, he'll bash in your head."

"I was lucky enough to catch Viscen without getting caught by Grimm," I say reassuringly. "How many Reapers are around here?"

"Xixion, Miki, and Ikkashi are hanging around the city on patrol," Saru answers.

I lean against the wood paneling of the door next to Saru. "Yeah, I've been here already, thanks to the Time Gate. I've already run into Ikkashi. How did he get his hands on Majora's Mask?"

"He stole it from the masked salesman."

_That pathetic little liar!_ I think angrily to myself.

_What were you expecting? He's as slimy as Uzuki and Makoto put together!_ Dex says back in disgust.

"I figured . . ." I growl angrily.

"He somehow reincarnated the moon – and made it more gruesome to boot – and is now controlling it with the mask," Saru explains. "The Four Giants aren't around to help you this time, Link."

"I know, I know," I sigh. "It really doesn't make things any easier . . . Even if I stop Ikkashi and get the mask off him, the moon could still fall into the town. I have no clue how I'm going to keep all that from happening."

"There's gotta be something you could do," Saru says. "I could rally up my buddies, if you want – we could use our powers to try and push it back."

"Are you willing to put your lives on the line like that? If the Society sees you trying to help me, they might kill you for it."

Saru laughs. "Ah well, it was just a suggestion."

_Link, maybe the Fierce Deity could help us_, Dex says. Then he lets out a loud, painful groan. _Gah, I can't believe I just suggested we get Oni for help . . . _He shudders in disgust.

_Maybe_, I reply. I keep the idea to myself though; there's really no point in telling Saru, especially considering it may not work.

"Well, I can try as many times as I want," I tell him. "As long as I make it back to the Time Gate portal."

"Oh, so that's what you meant when you saw Ikkashi already," Saru laughs. "I was a little confused there. I mean, there's no way you'd make it out of a scruff with him now that he's got that mask; at least not without winning – and if you won, we wouldn't be having this conversation."

"I heard from Fara . . . err, Ixion, that the Society wants my Time Gate now too," I begin a new subject.

"She probably told you that . . . before you killed her," Saru spits. "Not blaming you though. She was a puppet of the Society, after all. She always told me she wished for freedom, but she was too afraid of what would happen to her if she joined me and my friends."

"She could have helped you guys out a lot. Ixion wasn't a bad person; she was just ordered to do bad things."

"Exactly," Saru says as he begins to read through his comic book again. Then he tucks it away inside his black Society robe. "Want to go for a walk? I can explain to you why they want your Time Gate. My legs are falling asleep from sitting down so long too."

"Sure thing."

**An Interlude**

Mitsuhiro sits at the table where Uzuki is laying, his hands trembling as he holds her hands tightly inside them.

"Uzuki, please, wake up . . ." he whispers.

Shuto comes into the kitchen from his room with a tool box in his hands. When he opens it up on the table, he starts to dig through all the medical supplies and instruments that are neatly organized inside. He pulls out a tiny flashlight first. He leans above Uzuki and forces open her right eye with his fingers, shining the flashlight in her eye. Then he checks the left one. When he opens it, a look of surprise crosses his face.

"Hmm . . . so her mechanics aren't the problem . . ." he mumbles to himself. "I thought that would be the main problem . . ."

"Shuto?" Mitsuhiro starts to ask, but is ignored as Shuto begins to check the rest of Uzuki. He checks her pulse next.

"Her heartbeat is awfully fast . . ." Shuto continues to mumble. He places his hand on her forehead. "No temperature . . ." Then he stops as his hand is trailing down her face. He pulls his hand away. "No temperature," he repeats, "but her skin is ice-cold."

Mitsuhiro places his own hand on Uzuki's cheek, and nods in agreement with Shuto's words. "You're right," he says. "I wonder what that's all about . . ." When he brings his hand away from Uzuki's face, he proceeds to secretly clench his own freezing cold wrist. _There's only one reason that should be happening . . ._ he thinks to himself in worry. His grip on his chilly wrist tightens. _No, no, don't think about it . . . that can't be the reason._

Uzuki starts to tremble in her sleep. Shuto and Mitsuhiro watch as she turns slightly on the table, her skin crawling like it has electricity running through it. A few garbled words leave Uzuki's mouth, completely unclear to the two boys.

"Is she sleep-talking?" Mitsuhiro asks curiously. Shuto opens his mouth to answer his question, but the words never leave his mouth before Uzuki bolts up from the table and lets out a shrill, sound-barrier-breaking scream. Mitsuhiro and Shuto cover over their ears and leap away from Uzuki as she releases inhuman shrieks from her lips. Her skin crawls even more, coming to life like bizarre, out-of-control insects, and her irises become a deathly red, her pupils growing out into circles as if she were reading auras.

Mitsuhiro charges towards the table, in the hopes of pinning her down, but Uzuki stops screaming for a split second to launch a wave of energy at him, much like sound waves and just as muffled and warping. Mitsuhiro lets out a yelp, and is thrown backwards into Shuto. Then the screams start to come out of Uzuki's mouth again, the small fangs clearly visible in her mouth now.

"We've gotta do something about this . . ." Mitsuhiro grunts as he picks himself back up off of Shuto. The two boys get up from the floor, and do their best to stay away from Uzuki even as she gets off the table and starts to approach them. Blood starts to run down her face from both her eyes, and the scar on her face starts to open up, like a crack in a window. Uzuki's bones continuously snap as she walks towards Mitsuhiro and Shuto. She licks her lips with her now-black tongue, and ruffles her black hair with her fingers that have grown out with sharp fingernails.

"Mitsuhiro . . . !" Shuto growls.

"Just a minute, Shuto!" Mitsuhiro snarls back. He eyes his sword where it's leaning against the wall. The moment his eyes lock onto the blade, Uzuki's eyes lock onto him, and she immediately clues in to what he's planning to do. Mitsuhiro quickly sprints for the blade, and has it out of the sheath before Uzuki can make it to him. Uzuki grimaces at him with her bloody fangs, her fingers twitching from underneath their bandages.

"Uzuki, stop!" Mitsuhiro yells. Uzuki cracks her neck to the side, and lets out a laugh. Mitsuhiro grips the handle of his katana even tighter. "Don't make me do this, Uzuki . . . !"

Uzuki starts to slowly walk closer to Mitsuhiro. "Oh, Mitsuhiro Minamimoto, you'll do anything to love this girl, won't you?"

"W-What?" Mitsuhiro stammers.

Uzuki smirks. "Are you willing to sacrifice yourself for her?"

Mitsuhiro's grip starts to loosen on his blade. "What are you implying? I care about all of my comrades."

"Hmm, but you have a thing for Uzuki, do you not?"

"What the hell are you?" Mitsuhiro growls angrily.

Uzuki's fangs lift up into a devious smile. "How about we play a little game? I'll let your precious girlfriend go . . . if you kill yourself."

Mitsuhiro freezes in his spot, and he nearly drops his katana in shock.

"What, is that not a fair trade? Uzuki's life for yours. Surely both your lives are of equal value – it's a perfect trade."

"Why are you doing this?" Mitsuhiro trembles.

"Why? Because I'm bored, that's why," Uzuki sighs, rubbing her arms with her shivering hands. "Besides, only _one _of us really needs to live. Then again, if you die, I might be able to feel whole again . . . if you know what I'm saying."

Mitsuhiro stares at her for a moment.

"Mitsuhiro, don't do it!" Shuto yells from the other side of the room. Uzuki stretches her arm out behind her, and Shuto is suddenly blown into the wall by a blast of energy.

"Well?" Uzuki continues, bringing her hand back to continue its rubbing actions.

Mitsuhiro continues to stare at her. He looks at her demonic face, and then at the sword in his hand. He clenches the handle, and then looks back up at her.

"I know exactly what you're saying," Mitsuhiro challenges. He holds his sword up. "I'll play your little game . . . Kyodai no Akuma."

**Chapter 26 (continued)**

"So they think that their project – that creepy Kronoa kid – can use the Time Gate because he has some of my blood in him?"

Saru shrugs his shoulders as he downs another can of soda. He crunches it underneath his foot, and then tosses it into a nearby trashcan.

"That's what Ikkashi's been going on about, at least. He sent Fara here first, to see if she could seize the Time Gate from you – when that obviously failed, he decided to come do the job himself," Saru explains. "Now he's got his hands on Majora's Mask and is causing all kinds of trouble."

"I knew I should have destroyed that mask when I had the chance . . ." I sigh in defeat to myself. "But nooo, I had to give it back to that idiotic mask salesman . . ."

"Well, you know what they say, 'What goes around, comes around'," Saru mumbles back as he pulls another can of soda out from his guitar case. That's his tenth can since we started walking, and Goddess knows how many he's drank before that. Saru opens the can, the drink fizzing as the metal top cracks open, and then he takes a long drink from it.

"You sure are thirsty," I say to him in wonder as I watch him down the new can all in one chug.

Saru crunches the can underneath his foot, like all the ones before, and tosses it into another garbage can.

"Sorry if it seems a little abnormal for me to be drinking this much soda," he replies. "I'm not liking it either, but ever since they put some of the Kyodai no Akuma's powers in me, I've been thirsty as hell . . . I think it's taking my body a lot of energy to keep the demon under control . . ."

"I thought you only had a little bit of the demon put inside you," I begin to argue.

"We did, but we're not as used to holding demons inside us like you and Mitsuhiro are. It's amazing how Mitsuhiro is able to put up with it."

"Well, since we saved him from the demon a few years ago, he's had a part of the demon's soul trapped inside his katana," I explain. "Although, he has been growing a little irritable lately . . . you should see Uzuki too. Man, is she cranky. At first I just thought it was her time of the month or some kind of woman issue, but now I'm not so sure . . ."

"Hmph, it's all woman logic," Saru laughs. "Don't bother trying to understand it; it won't do you any good at all."

_Hmm, so that's what it's called . . ._ I think humorously to myself.

Saru stops cold for a moment. He looks around the area; people are running around, trying to evacuate the city, but something seems to have caught his attention.

Saru frowns at me. "Sorry for this," he says, before bringing up his fist and punching me right in the face. I fall back a bit, but I don't fall over. I'm a little surprised by his actions, especially because he apologized.

"Go, now!" he mouthed the words without speaking. He nudged his head slightly to the right; when I looked over, I could clearly see Xixion glaring at me, and heading straight for us. Thinking back on it, I know that Ixion – who we killed just a while back – was Xixion's sister; which means Xixion is probably out for my head thanks to my little stunt.

Saru pulls out his sword, and starts to chase me through the town, trying to make it look like he's still on the Society's side. Xixion starts to catch up to us, and soon enough, she's right behind Saru.

"I'm going to kill you!" Xixion screams out angrily, her voice sharp with anger and hatred for me.

While we're running through the alleyways, I realize that I'm probably going to have to head back through the portal now that Xixion has screwed things up; there's no way I'll be able to sneak around the town now that Xixion knows I'm here.

I leap up onto the wall of a building, running up the brick surface, leaving Saru and Xixion behind. The only thing I'm worried about right now about going back to the future is Saru's fate; chances are, Xixion didn't fall for his little stunt, and he's going to get punished for it.

When I'm on the roof, I lean over to see what's happened to the two Reapers. Xixion's wings are coming out from her back, and Saru is making a shooing motion with his hand. As much as I want to help him, I know deep down that staying here isn't going to do us any good. So I do a silent wish to myself that Saru won't suffer for helping me, and I leap through the portal.

I make it to the house in one piece, but with the lingering feeling of guilt for leaving poor Saru behind. When the light has subsided from my eyes from travelling through time, I realize that not only am I in one piece, but the house seems to be in a million – the couches are ripped up; there are claw marks on the walls; marks from what looks like they came from Mitsuhiro's swords seem to be lining the floor; the grand piano has been smashed in two like a piece of wood; and what's worse, Uzuki's favorite window is smashed. _Again_.

_What happened here_? I think to myself, cautiously walking through the living room, trying to avoid stepping on the glass from the window, regardless of the fact I'm wearing boots. If somebody attacked, and if they're still here, I don't need to let my presence known by stepping on the glass and making extra noise.

_Link, look at those claw marks, _Dex says worriedly. _Do you think Mitsuhiro . . . ?_

_No, that's not possible . . . _I object. _Mitsuhiro has a bit of his demon powers in him, but the most dangerous elements of the Kyodai no Akuma are trapped inside his blade . . . there's no way he would snap that easily. It had to be something else._

As I'm slowly making my way into the dining room, a strange girl slowly passes me by. She's wearing a black dress that looks like it's made out of shimmering bandages, and her hair appears to be braided in the same kind of material, and travels all the way to her ankles. Her feet and arms are covered in bandages. Her black hair is cropped and messy, much like Uzuki's, but somehow it's still long enough in one spot to be a braid that goes down to the floor. Walking beside her are two people . . . two _things_ – a man in a suit; and a white creature with metal claws that looks like a naked dog, no bigger than Miu. The dog thing has white eyes that seem to pop out of its skull and glow with an eerie black and white glow. The man is even more disturbing; he's quite tall, probably around the same height as Higashizawa, and skin that's paler than Mitsuhiro's. The worst thing about him is that he appears to be faceless – no eyes, no mouth, no nose . . . nothing at all. The look of these three strangers walking through my house sends chills through me.

The girl who looks like Uzuki stops, the man and the hairless dog stopping with her, and she slowly cranes her neck towards me to look at me.

"A lovely day to be spending quality time with friends, don't you think?" she asks. Her voice is hollow and as disturbing as the rest of her. "It's too bad that mine are not around to play . . . Tell me, Dex – would you like to play?"

_Is she talking to me? _Dex hisses nervously in my head.

"I-I'm not Dex," I stammer nervously.

Her expression remains the same. "You're not? Hmm . . . you were never a good liar, Dex." She starts to walk towards me, and places a cold hand on my skin; it feels like a thousand icicles mixed with hatred and deceit. "But your hair is black, and you bear the marks of a demon . . . how can you not be Dex?" she asks me. Then she takes my hands in hers, sending even more cold chills through my body. Her fingernails are long rectangles, and painted black. "Your hands are still the same . . . so shaky, stained with so much blood . . ."

I take my hands away; I can't stand the feel of her skin or the sight of her nails – especially when I start to imagine that woman's nails burrowing through my skin.

"Why do you not reply, Dex?" she asks me. Her voice almost sounds sad. "Do you not remember me?"

"Who are you?" I ask her. It probably wasn't the smartest thing to say, because tears of blood start to slowly stream down her face in small, thin streams.

"It seems you don't remember me . . . it seems that your memories of me have strayed from your mind," she says in the same melancholic voice that makes me feel sick to my stomach. "Why don't you let me remind you who I am?"

She backs up towards the man in the suit, and holds her hand out to me.

"W-What?" I stammer in fear. As much as I want to do something to protect myself – kill her, drive her out of my house, look for some way to get rid of the man and the hairless dog – I still feel somewhat tempted to walk towards her. It's like her and the man and the dog have some kind of hold on my brain. I can't seem to take my eyes away, especially from the faceless man with the black suit that reminds me so much of the Kyodai no Akuma.

The Kyodai no Akuma.

The Kyodai no Akuma had scouts like the faceless man in the suit. Why did I forget what they looked like? And for some reason, now that I think about it, I distinctively remember those scouts had _black_ faces, not white, and didn't wear suits; because of that difference, it makes me wonder if I'm actually right. Something is just tugging at my brain and telling me that the Kyodai no Akuma has something to do with this.

And yet my legs still want to move forward, to take my body into the arms of these people to be taken away. As much as I want to fight it, it's almost a comforting kind of feeling I'm getting from these creatures, like my brain is telling me they're good people and they won't hurt me – which definitely isn't true.

I close my eyes for a moment. When I open them, I can see the auras of these things. I can only keep my eyes open for a few seconds. Before I'm forced to close them, their auras scream at me like demons trapped in a cage, each one of their auras huge and menacing. The woman's is black, seeping with red tears, like blood; the dog's causes my body to feel like it's being torn apart by blades; and the man's simply isn't there – all I hear is screaming and distorted sounds.

When I open my eyes again, the auras are gone, and I let a sigh of relief pass my lips when I see that I'm not torn into pieces by the dog's claws, and the screams from the man are gone.

The woman's hand is still held out to me.

I'm suddenly caught in her trance again, and I find myself walking towards her and the man and its dog without a second thought as to what I'm doing.

A voice cries out from the hallway, breaking my trance and the woman's attempts to lure me in.

"Link!" the voice yells. Another stranger runs out from the hallway, and takes out a handgun, shooting multiple bullets into the woman's body. The bullets pass right through, as if she were made of air. The man who's come out from the hallway is of average-height, just a little shorter than Uzuki, and has black hair that spikes up. When I look at him, he somewhat resembles Makoto Takahashi.

The woman who looks like Uzuki disappears like dust. The man and the dog both disappear as well, like a flickering image, vanishing into thin air.

The man who's just appeared sighs, and wipes the sweat from his forehead with his wrist.

"Shit, Link, you could have been killed," he spits at me. "Leave it to a Time Keeper to make stupid decisions."

Then I see his aura-reading eyes that are a bright blue-green.

The man that resembles Makoto Takahashi _is_ Makoto Takahashi.

Makoto Takahashi as a Reaper.

"Makoto?" I exclaim, my voice a mixture of shock and surprise. "You're a Reaper?"

"Yeah, no thanks to you," he growls at me angrily.

"Wait . . . who was that woman just now?" I ask. "And that man and the dog?"

"The woman that you saw was the Kyodai no Akuma, created from a mixture of the demon and Uzuki's souls," Makoto answers. "The man was the Fairy Tree Man. And the dog was the Slasher. All three of them are very dangerous; however, the ones you just saw were merely illusions to trick you. The _real_ Kyodai no Akuma is still trapped inside Uzuki's body, and the Fairy Tree Man and the Slasher are mythical creatures that aren't even supposed to exist."

My entire body starts to go weak. "Uzuki is . . . wait, no, that's impossible! The Kyodai no Akuma is inside Mitsuhiro, not Uzuki!"

Makoto starts to reload his gun. "That's what a lot of us thought too. But it turns out that only _half_ of the Kyodai no Akuma is in Mitsuhiro; the other is in Uzuki."

_That's not possible_, I tell myself. _It can't be true. If it is, why didn't Uzuki suffer the way Mitsuhiro did? Did it take longer for the demon to awaken?_

"You'd better believe it, Link," Makoto mutters as he stuffs his gun back into its holster on his belt and pulls out a fresh cigarette. He sticks it between his lips and lights it. "I found it hard to believe too, but based on Uzuki's history of being a complete psychopath, it makes perfect sense – I mean, who's a better vessel for the Kyodai no Akuma than someone from the Lunatic Five?"

"The _what_?" I yell. Now I'm just getting more confused. What Lunatic Five? I've heard of every other group in Hyrule – so why hadn't I heard of this one?

"Oh, just a little group we made for fun before Uzuki died," Makoto sighs, breathing out a cloud of smoke right into my face. It smells like strawberries, for some weird reason. "A group of the craziest, most psychopathic people from Hyrule – me, Higashizawa, Peter, Cyrus, and Uzuki."

"I can't see Higashizawa being a part of that group," I mumble.

"Nah, the five of us just hung out a lot. Cyrus was Uzuki's cousin – a lunatic because he likes to shoot every living thing he sees. He's got a _very _active trigger finger."

"Okay, so because Uzuki's a bit of a lunatic, the Society felt it was appropriate to put half of the Kyodai no Akuma inside her?" I ask.

"Why not?" Makoto reasons. "I mean, think about it – the Kyodai no Akuma is a psychotic demon in itself, so it gets more comfortable if its vessel is just as crazy. Of course, this can lead to one of two possibilities – either the vessel and demon learn to cooperate, or the demon drives the vessel even more up the wall, and causes the vessel to become erratic and do really, really dumb things."

"I'm guessing Uzuki's suffering from possibility number two," I sigh.

"Bingo," Makoto snickers. "If it weren't for Uzuki dying first, they probably would have put the other half of the demon in me. It was to be put in Sadik at one point, but she ran before they got the chance to test it out on her; she was compatible with a lot of the Great Demons, including the Kyodai no Akuma _and_ the Sairento no Akuma. You see, the demon is too powerful to be contained within one vessel; all that power would drive even the strongest person mad. So the Society decided they had to split the demon's powers in half and place them into two different vessels. Mitsuhiro and Uzuki died together, and were born together as Reapers, so it was a perfect opportunity for the Society to put the Kyodai no Akuma's power to use."

"This can't be happening . . ." I hiss, rubbing my temples to soothe my new headache.

"I just explained it to you!" Makoto explains. "I'm a Reaper because you failed to save Hyrule; Zelda's dead because you messed around with the past; and Uzuki has become the Dark Realm's newest killing machine! Face it, Link, I'm not a bullshitter when it comes to stuff like this! As entertaining as I find it, I'm not playing with your head right now!"

_There's too much going on right now, _I think stressfully. _I need to sit down . . . sort everything out . . ._

So I sit down at the table in the dining room . . . at least, what's left of it. Like the piano, the table has been split right down the middle. I manage to find a chair that isn't completely destroyed, so I sit down.

"Where's everybody else?" I ask, realizing that Makoto and I may be the only ones left in the destroyed house.

"Mitsuhiro managed to contain Uzuki," Makoto says. His words immediately lift my spirits a little bit; it means that she hasn't run off the way Mitsuhiro did years ago. "The two of them are in his room, trying to forget about what happened. She's in a real catastrophic state; she's in so much shock, she can't remember anything from the past week."

The past week. Which means somehow, the Kyodai no Akuma has terrified Uzuki so much that she's literally pushed her real life out of her mind, and has forgotten a portion of it.

Which means that, if we don't get this demon under control, Uzuki could be like this forever.

"What about Shuto and Yashiro?" I ask.

"Shuto's trying to come up with a medicine to bring Uzuki back to her former self," Makoto answers. "As for Yashiro, she immediately took the two Angel kids out of the house; it would have been awful if they had to witness what had happened here."

"That's probably the best thing," I agree. "Those kids have seen enough terrifying things; we don't need them coming into contact with the demons either."

Makoto leans against the wall. "So, did you figure anything out while you were in Castle Town?"

"A few things, yes, but nothing that might help me stop the moon," I sigh in defeat. "While I was there, I happened to run into Saru and Viscen, from the Society. Turns out the two of them are on our side now, along with a few other Reapers from the Society."

"Huh," he mutters. "A rebellion within the Society . . . that's not going to go down well with the leaders, that's for sure."

"Tell me about it," I snicker. "But they're willing to put their lives on the line to help us; they're already at risk by merely talking to me. If Jun and Iwata find out about them, they'll probably be executed."

"Things are getting . . . interesting," Makoto laughs quietly. Then he blows out a smoke ring. "But I have some word of advice for you, Link."

"Hmm? What?"

"Stop relying on that dark side of yours for everything."

I know immediately that he's talking about Dex.

"I don't rely on him for everything," I object. "He's a reliable companion, like the rest of my friends."

"And what about the Fierce Deity?" he asks. "I never see you try to use his powers. You do realize that you can get different effects depending on the one you use?"

"I know that," I mutter. "I'm just . . . a little more used to using Dex's powers. It's something I've grown to be comfortable with. The Fierce Deity and I were never really close."

"Use him next time you go through the portal. He can stop the moon from falling."

This takes me by surprise. "What?" I exclaim. "What do you mean?"

"The Fierce Deity has been spoken about in various history textbooks and legends," Makoto begins to explain, smoke flowing out from his mouth. "He's a god, with power so strong that it shapes the very planet itself; you were lucky enough to earn his favour, and earn him as a companion."

"I thought it was just power from a mask that had a physical appearance," I say.

"The Fierce Deity was once defeated by a mighty warrior," Makoto continues. "When the warrior proved himself in battle, he sealed away the Fierce Deity in the mask so that he could use his powers for himself. The mask has been passed down ever since as a cursed mask . . . much like Majora's Mask. The mask radiates with the same strong, evil power that Majora's Mask does."

_That would explain why Majora's Mask gave it to me before our final battle_, I realize. _He wanted us to be even in battle, warrior to warrior. _

"So if you know what's good for this world – and the stream of time for that matter – I suggest you fix this problem immediately when you go back in time again," Makoto suggest. "You see, every time you go back with the Time Gate and do something, you're creating alternate time streams. Something bad is bound to happen if you do it too many times."

I nod in agreement. Messing with time isn't something I want to do; it's as bad as messing with our entire universe.

Makoto shakes his cigarette, trying to dim the flames out. "When you get to the town, find the Fierce Deity. It'll do us all good if you fixed up this problem quickly. I'd like to get out of this Reaper body whenever I get the chance."

"Heh, I always figured you'd like being a Reaper," I laugh.

"Nah. Too many bugs like you crawling around here," he mutters back with a slight smirk. "Good luck, Link. I'll keep an eye on the rest of your bugs while I'm stuck here; I'm worried about Uzuki too."

I give a salute to him, and then I head back to my Time Gate, preparing myself for what I'm hoping to be the last time I'll have to go back to try and fix this problem.

After the flurry of colors has passed, I find myself in Castle Town once again, the moon smiling down at me.

I smile back up at him. "Good to see you too."


	27. And There Will Be Destruction

Ugghhh, FINALLY it's up! I know I haven't updated in a long long LONG time, but it's been due to a sudden unwillingness to go on with anything, writer's block, and just plain laziness, I guess :P

**Time Gate: The Adult Chapters**

**Chapter 27: And There Will Be Destruction . . . **

I take a deep breath, Kon and I both staring at the blue sky above us, where the moon is staring down at everybody in the city, including us.

"Alright . . . now, do we have _all_ the glitches worked out?" I ask him sternly, keeping my eyes on the moon floating what feels like inches above us.

Kon hesitantly nods. "We know where the members of the Society will be: Xixion is hanging around the Academy; Ikkashi is covering most of northern Castle Town; Saru has the western side; and Grimmex and Viscen are at the bar. Considering the circumstances with the rebellion within the Society, the only Reapers we have to worry about are Xixion, Ikkashi, and Grimmex. Xixion should be easy to take care of, and we shouldn't have any reason to even run into Grimmex."

"We have plenty of time when it comes down to it, don't we?" I ask.

"If all we have to do is avoid the Reapers that are after us and get the Fierce Deity to help us, then yes, we have lots of time," Kon says. "Like the mask salesman once said, 'Please, make the most of your time.'."

I shudder at the thought of the mask salesman. When I'm through getting rid of this moon, I'll probably go ahead and get Fierce Deity to take care of the salesman too, while I'm at it.

"So, we're headed to the Temple of Time? Let's get moving," I say anxiously, eager to get all of this over with.

The Temple of Time is as quiet as usual, a few dogs bouncing about, but no other signs of life other than the plants that are growing around here and the Sheikah stones that enjoy spreading gossip. I find the Deity standing outside, staring down the moon as well, his robe and dark blue hat flowing in the gentle breeze.

"Ah, Link," the Deity greets me, a gentle smile on his face. "It's good to see you. Although, I wish we could have met under better circumstances . . . it seems that this city is going to meet its end."

"That's why I'm here to stop it," I say with a grin.

"Oh? And how do you plan on doing that?" he asks me. "Unlike Termina, there are no guardians here to push the moon away from Castle Town."

"It has a guardian," I correct him. "You."

The Deity looks away. "I am merely a guardian of the Temple of Time; nobody, besides you, knows I exist. I would like to keep it that way." He starts to walk away, up the steps of the Temple.

"So you're just going to let all these innocent people die?" I yell, trying to stop him from leaving.

The Deity stops on the third step. "I have witnessed many deaths. This event is no different. I will continue to live on as a spirit, as I always have; everybody here will merely be meeting their fate."

"Even me?" I ask. This seems to catch his attention, so I continue. "What about me and Dex? Are you just going to let us die off like that? Not to mention, you're bound to my soul now; if I die, so do you."

The Deity looks back at me. "Then that will be my fate."

"Screw fate!" I yell. "Do you know how much I used to believe in fate? It was my fate that I was to wield the Master Sword, become the Hero of Time, defeat Ganondorf, and save Hyrule; it was my fate that I was to stop the moon from crashing into Termina and stop Majora's Mask from wreaking havoc on the world; and it was my fate that I was to meet the Reapers and stop the Society from resurrecting Ganondorf. Do you think I care about fate right now? There are innocent people in this city; how can I consider myself a hero if I can't even save the people that are right in front of me?"

The Deity starts to walk towards me, back down the Temple steps. He stares at me for a moment. "You speak with wise words, Link. But you must understand that humans will always find a way to die. I am merely allowing them to meet their fate together."

"But if we make different decisions, we can change our fate!" I argue. "There's no point in just sitting around and letting time take us over and do what it wants to us!"

The Deity continues to stare at me. "So, you think you can change the fate of all these people?"

"I know I can," I say, feeling more determined than ever. "But I need your help; I can't change the world without your help." I feel something strange start to grow inside me, and when I take a second glance, I notice that Dex has just come out of my body in his spirit body again.

"Come on, old man, what happened to all that fighting spirit you used to have?" Dex snickers. "Or are you getting too old to fight?"

The Deity smiles at Dex. "Now, now, Dex, insulting me will just make me change my mind; and I was thinking of helping you too."

He smirks back at the Deity. "We need you out there, old man."

The Deity sighs in defeat. "Alright, fine, I'll help." He throws his robe off, revealing his blue tunic and armor underneath. His sword is resting on his back, multiple straps tied around it to keep it held to his body. "But you owe me big time for this."

_Was his wise switch suddenly turned off?_ Dex asks me through our thoughts, probably so that the Deity can't hear his jokes.

_Yes, it was,_ the Deity's voice suddenly cuts in.

_Oh. Sorry about that, Deity,_ I think back. _Didn't know you could hear him. _

"Then let's head out," I say confidently to the Deity and Dex. "Can I depend on you two?"

"You got it, buddy!" Dex replies with a smile.

"You have my sword," the Deity says with a gentle bow.

"And I can help too, if there's anything I can do," Kon smiles, poking his head out from my bag. "I'm sure I can think of some way to help."

"Alright then," I declare. "Let's go stop that moon again."

* * *

Hyrule Castle Town is as disastrous as ever, especially now that the moon appears to be coming closer. The Deity, Dex, Kon – who's in his regular-sized form – and I all make our way through the crowds.

"Let's find Ikkashi!" I tell them. "Try to stay away from any Reapers who aren't Viscen or Saru! If you run into Viscen or Saru, explain to them that you're on my side – they'll understand right away!"

"Understood," the Deity says calmly. "But I believe if we were to find Ikkashi, he would be somewhere near Hyrule Castle. I sense an evil aura coming from it."

I look towards the castle, its form remaining undisturbed. But maybe the Deity is right; after all, disasters usually find their way to the castle eventually.

"You two stay here then," I tell Dex and the Deity. "Stay under cover, and make sure Ikkashi doesn't do anything if he's around here. I'll go check out the castle; if he's not there, I'll come back straightaway."

"No problem, Link," Dex obeys. "Come on, Deity, you heard him."

The Deity nods a silent encouragement to me, and then turns around to disappear into the crowd with Dex.

I turn my back to him as well so that I can head in the direction of Hyrule Castle, where it's watching over the city on its pleasant little hill. When I make it to the gate, it's closed off as usual, and the guard is standing there waiting for me, as usual. As I'm making my way towards him, I don't show him the slightest sign of kindness. I want to get this dumb mission finished already.

I don't have time for his crap today.

"Hey, hold it!" the guard yells as I walk past him. I summon some of my strength from Dex's abilities – even though Makoto advised me not to – and I blast a huge hold through the gate.

"Shut up," I growl. Then I knock the guard back with a blast made just for him. "I'm just trying to save your ass."

The guard has become unconscious from the strike, so I continue walking, sneaking my way around the other guards so that I don't end up on the bingo book of every security official in Hyrule; the last thing I need to be worrying about right now is imagining my face on "Hyrule's Most Wanted" for breaking into the castle for no reason.

I climb up the stone wall, crossing pass the second gate by the ridge that sits beside it, and then I make my way to the water-filled mote. But instead of jumping in as I usually do, I take a deep breath, and I leap for the wall, using my Soul power to stick to the brick like glue before I can slide off and fall into the water below. Then I start to scale the wall, towards the rooftop of the castle.

I'm pretty sure as I make it up further I'm spotted by the two guards keeping watch over the main gate, because when I look down, it looks like one of them is pointing up at me with a surprised expression, but it's hard to tell from this far up. I ignore him and continue to climb anyways, and soon I'm on the roof.

And look at that – the Deity was right. And I had a feeling he was right as I was climbing the roof; when I was halfway up, I could start to feel the cruel atmosphere that the Deity had talked about.

Ikkashi is staring up at the sky, preferably the moon, with the Majora's Mask plastered on his face. When he sees me, I can't tell what his expression is, but I know from experience and from the stuff he starts to say that he's not happy with my arrival.

"You . . . I figured you'd show up," he sneers. "Asking for a death wish, Nohansen Hyrule?"

I feel like making a sassy comeback, but I don't want to piss him off like last time.

"I figured I'd find you here," I growl, grabbing the handle of my sword from behind me and pulling it out of its sheath. "Give me Majora's Mask."

"Oh, Link, aren't you smarter than that?" he chuckles at me, sounding amused at my words. "Even if I give you the mask, it won't make any difference. The moon will still fall, and you won't be able to control the power of the mask anyway; and then it will find a new host in another body."

"I'm guessing that's a no, then," I snicker.

Ikkashi moves back a few steps. "Fighting you is a waste of time, I'm afraid. I'll leave this to my little toy to do."

The roof between us cracks and a hand emerges from underneath it. Another hand bursts through a few feet away. The two hands lift up the body from inside of the castle. I know that luck isn't on my side as the body is lifted and I start to recognize the white cloak with the buckles tied around it.

"Come, Kronoa," Ikkashi calls the demon boy. "Destroy the man who wishes to get in the way of our Lord Ganon."

Kronoa gets to his feet on top of the roof. I know he's going to draw his sword, but instead, he reaches into his mouth, jamming his hand down his throat. His eyes reel back into his head as he stuffs his hand further down his throat; I can see the movement on his neck from his fingers moving around inside.

_W-What's he doing?_

When he pulls his hand out, he spits out a bit of blood, and shows me the kunai that's in his palm. It's the same kunai that I threw at him the first time – the kunai that he clearly swallowed while it was still in midair.

"Hmm-hmm," he sings as he twirls the kunai around like a trophy. I think he's challenging me; mocking me because he clearly remembers how he defeated me last time. I'm not going to lose like last time though – this time, I'm going to take that demon's head back with me.

"Don't hesitate to finish your meal this time, Kronoa," Ikkashi growls at him. "Or I'll throw you into experiment room again."

The boy suddenly looks extremely worried, and turns to face Ikkashi. "N-No, please don't throw me in there!" he begs Ikkashi. "I don't like all those crazy people! They throw knives around and pretend to shoot me with guns that don't even have bullets in them! I hate them!"

"Then _finish him_," Ikkashi snarls. Then he disappears instantly, the same way as before.

Kronoa stays facing away from me, the bloody and saliva-wet kunai still in his hand. Then he reels around in an instant, firing the kunai straight at me. I dodge it, ducking down so that it passes over my head.

"I hate you!" he yells at me like an angry little boy with a temper tantrum. "You're always getting me in trouble! It's because of you that I have crazy people shooting at me with guns that don't have bullets in them and cutting my hair with scissors and throwing knives at me! I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!" he screams. His scream is loud and ear-piercing, so much that it catches me off guard; a lot like the Majora's Mask scream, just like before.

He slumps over, his head hanging down low, so low that it's only a few feet from the ground. I can hear him crying silently to himself.

"Make the voices stop . . ." he cries. "I can't take all you people talking to me at once . . ."

"I have no clue what you're talking about," I mutter. "But I have no time to waste."

The boy grabs the sides of his head, and starts to scream again. "The voices won't stop! Make them stop! I can't take it anymore!" He lifts his head, glaring at me, and his black eyes suddenly change white, with small black pupils in the middle; it's a lot like the way Uzuki's eyes change when she's aura-reading, but it seems different than that. I feel like right now, he really does want to kill me.

He stops screaming again. He stares ahead with his white eyes and shrunken pupils.

"Oh . . . so you're saying I shouldn't stress too much?" the boy says, but I feel like he's not talking to me. He continues to blabber on aimlessly to himself.

"I can kill him? I'll win without breaking a sweat?"

"Can I play with him first? I've never had a playmate before."

"The moon loves to smile, doesn't he? I wish I could always be happy like him."

"You two are my friends? I can depend on you?"

"I wish everybody in the world had friends like you two."

A dark shadow grows below his feet. He holds his hand out, and his sword emerges from the shadows below. His fingers curl around the handle, and he lifts the oversized sword with ease, holding it close to his body.

"Blood Eater . . ." the boy whispers the sword's name.

I grip the handle of my sword tightly, waiting for the boy to make his move. He charges at me with his sword, and I bring my sword up to block his heavy attack. His attacks are as unorthodox and unpredictable as usual, making it hard for me to predict what he's going to do next.

"Just die!" he shrieks, attacking me again with his oversized blade. I push him away with my sword, creating a bit more distance between us. I can tell that this kid likes to fight close – for whatever reason it is that he does, it works well for him. I wish I could say the same for myself – I've been trained to fight close, but not when dealing with people with moves like this. Although, his moves are starting to get a bit easier to predict, but his attacks are so heavy when he strikes with his sword it's like he's pushing a megaton hammer down on me.

I jump back, trying to regain my breath before he strikes again. The boy doesn't move.

"Oh no . . ." he cries. "The _other _voices are back. I don't like the other voices. He said that this shouldn't be happening . . . he said the voices would go away . . ." A wild, sharp-toothed smile grows on his face, drool escaping from the corner of his smirked mouth. "But . . . they're back."

_Any ideas, Dex?_ I ask Dex quickly as I evade Kronoa's fierce attacks.

There's no response from Dex. Even the Deity doesn't say anything. I swear to the Goddess Din if anything happened to him . . .

I have no time to think before Kronoa attacks again. It almost looks like his sword is getting longer, but it's hard to tell – it's moving so fast that I only catch a glimpse of it before it hits my sword again.

"Get out of my head!" the boy shrieks. He brings his sword back, and all of a sudden, it turns into some kind of snake-like whip. He rears it back and then whips it forward, the black cord lashing out at me and grabbing me by the foot, pulling me to the ground.

_This is insane!_

I'm pulled across the rooftop by the whip, until I'm close enough to Kronoa for him to pull his whip back, transform it into a smaller dagger-like blade, and attempt to stab me with it while I'm still on the ground. I roll out of the way, the blade going straight into the roof. The blade liquefies and grows up Kronoa's arm, forming a curved blade that arches close to his body, the metal cut and sharpened in specific areas.

While I'm still on the ground, Kronoa gets above me and swings his arm in a half-moon motion, trying to slice the blade through me, but I stop it with a kunai. He presses down on my weapon with his blade, the edge of it getting closer and closer to my face.

"Not . . . today!" I grunt, lifting my foot out from under him and placing it squat in the middle of his stomach, lifting him into the air and cycling him back overtop me; he lands on the ground just a few feet away. Before he can come at me again, I roll onto my feet and draw three more kunai.

_He's gotten stronger since the last time I fought him_.

The boy's sword liquefies again and turns into a long spear with a very sharp and fine point. He twirls it in the air before going into a new battle position.

_It just doesn't stop . . . I'm never going to win at this rate . . ._

Kronoa charges at me with the spear, his grin getting wider and wider – clearly, he's enjoying this game of cat-and-mouse.

I dodge all of his moves with the spear – when he's using this weapon, his attacks are actually a little easier to predict.

Suddenly, when I dodge it for a fourth time, the weapon liquefies again, and before I can move, the end of the spear has turned into a scythe and the blade is cutting into me, slowly at first, and then going straight through as if my body were made of water. The boy laughs out loud as he watches the top half of my body sever from my bottom half . . .

There's a poof of smoke, and the body parts disappear into blood. A look of crazed shock bursts onto Kronoa's face.

"What? Where are you? You weren't supposed to disappear!" he exclaims.

Thank the Goddess Farore for illusionary clones. It wasn't a bad idea to learn those after all.

I peer up over the edge of the roof from where I'm sidling against a window, my feet placed securely on a windowsill. I can see the boy walking around the pool of blood, probably wondering what the heck is going on.

"Must . . . find him . . ." I can hear him growl. This is the perfect opportunity for me to ambush him and finish this battle.

I quietly climb back onto the roof and sneak towards him, a knife gripped in my hand.

Suddenly, before I can anticipate it, Kronoa unleashes the loudest, highest, most blood-curdling-spine-tingling-eardrum-shattering scream I've ever heard – it makes the Skull Kid's scream seem meagre and quiet. In fact, the power coming from him and his scream is so powerful that a blast of energy comes shooting out from his body all at once, pushing me back over the edge of the roof.

He probably knew I was going to sneak up on him, so he used that attack to blast me away no matter where I was. And it definitely worked. I'm knocked over the roof, falling further and further until I land on the next section of roofing, and even then I crash through the roof and land on something. All I can see are stars.

_That's it! No more Mr. Nice Fairy! _

I can feel the bones in my back snapping from the pain, but I don't think any of them are broken. I try to lift myself up from what I landed on – which I now realize is some kind of roofed bed – without pulling apart anything else inside of my body. I manage to lift myself up to a sitting position; I have to work slowly, or I'll end up hurting myself even more.

I look up to the huge hole in the ceiling from where I fell through. I start to help myself up even more, but then I hear something. When I look up, I see Kronoa looking down at me through the hole in the ceiling with a wide smile on his face.

"Shit . . ." I swear to myself, trying to get myself up faster before he comes down here to finish me off.

Suddenly, a guard bursts into the room – he must have heard all the noise from in the throne room.

"You there!" he shouts. "Put your hands on your head!"

"Get out of here!" I yell back at him. "I'm not the one you should be worried about right now!" I leap off the bed and charge for him, pushing him out of the room and slamming the door afterwards so he can't get back in. I don't need those stupid, mindless guards getting in my way right now.

I wait for Kronoa to drop in, but he doesn't show. I limp over to the bed where I landed, and look straight up through the hole in the ceiling. He's not up there either. He's planning something; I can just feel it.

I go over to the window that's been covered with a curtain, edging my way closer around the bed. I lean up against the mirror and lightly pull the curtain about an inch away from my finger, peering outside of the window. No sign of him.

It's when I pull my hand away from the curtain that a cloud of shadows suddenly burst in through the mirror, knocking me to the floor. The shadows gather in the center of the room, on the opposite side of the bed. Kronoa's body appears from the black cloud.

"You're such a nuisance!" Kronoa screams, lifting his sword into the air.

I wait for him to launch the blow, preparing my blade for a block, when all of a sudden Zelda – in her Zero appearance – bursts into the room with a handgun and begins firing several bullets into Kronoa's body. Kronoa screams and hits the floor.

"Zel – Zero!" I exclaim in surprise. "You're here! But . . . how did you know?"

"Some Reaper told me," Zero sighs. "Never met him, but he told me that he knew the future. Said that you were in trouble."

_The Reaper form of Makoto? _I think curiously. _But wait, I travelled back in time, which would mean that Makoto would be alive again . . . ugh, this is all so confusing . . ._

I open my mouth to speak, but I can't get a word out before Kronoa gets back to his feet and lets out another ear-shattering scream. Zero slides back on her feet, plugging her ears, and I'm blown out of the room through the window, and I land on the roof. Kon gets thrown out of my bag, rolling down the roof and over to the ledge. I can see him hanging off the ledge.

"Help me!" he screams, his voice filled with fear.

I'm already on my feet and about to help him by the time Kronoa lunges at me again, his sword back to normal. Zero jumps out the window and shoots as many bullets as she can into Kronoa's body, but they go through as if his body were made of liquid. But she doesn't stop firing them – she keeps going at it, determined to bring the demon child down.

Our swords clash again, the both of us pushing against each other with all of our might.

"It's time for you to die!" I grunt. I bring forward all of my power – from Dex _and _the Deity – and suddenly all this energy comes surging into my sword, blowing Kronoa back to the ground.

I feel so . . .

. . . _alive_.

**An Interlude **

The Deity stops in his tracks, pressing his fingers to his forehead.

"What's wrong?" Dex asks.

"Link, he's . . . he's using my power . . ." he says quietly.

"Ah, not used to it, eh?" Dex snickers. "Don't worry, the headache will go away in a moment."

Suddenly, Dex's head grows painful as well. He rubs his head, his fingers digging through his hair.

"Wait . . . that means . . ."

Dex and the Deity look at each other in shock. Link was using their power – from _both _of them – at the same time.

"He's going to kill himself!" Dex exclaims.

"No, I think he'll be fine," the Deity objects. "He's not using all of it, just a small portion of it. If he keeps his usage to a minimum, he should get along fine."

"You sure?" Dex asks.

"That's what I'm hoping for," the Deity sighs, shaking off the pain in his head.

The Deity and Dex continue to walk through the city, both of them being terrorized by their headaches.

* * *

Kurenai lies on the couch, her white eyes focused on the ceiling. Matsuda walks out to the living room, and sees her in her dazed state.

"Kurenai!" he exclaims, rushing over to her side. "What do you see?"

Kurenai continues to stare at the ceiling, her eyes barely moving, not even blinking, as the various images pass her vision. Eventually she comes to, her eyes gaining a bit more life to them. She sits up, and looks at Matsuda with a worried expression.

"Link . . . he's in trouble," she says. "If we don't do something about it, he'll be . . ."

Matsuda nods, understanding her completely. "Don't worry, I'll go get Uzuki." He gets up and heads for Uzuki's room, politely knocking on the door before entering. He found Uzuki sitting in the center of her room with the lights off and the curtains pulled over, several drawings sitting around her.

"Matsuda, what is it?" she asks, already knowing it's him without giving him a single glance.

"Kurenai . . . she says that Link is in trouble! He's going to die if we don't go do something!" he says quickly.

Uzuki turns her head slightly so that she can see him from the corner of her eye. "How does she know this?"

"My sister . . . my sister can see the future," he explains, hanging his head down. "She can see what's going to happen before it happens."

Uzuki turns her head entirely around so that she can see his whole face. "Is she sure of this?"

"Yes," Matsuda says. "Her visions are never wrong."

Uzuki gets up from the floor and walks to him. "I'll get the others then. You two stay here." She walks past him to grab her scythe where it's sitting behind the door. Then she goes through the hallway, knocking on every door and informing every Reaper on the situation, rounding them up in the living room to tell them the plan.

"I knew he shouldn't have gone alone," Shuto growls.

"We had no choice," Mitsuhiro argues. "The less people that go, the better – it saves us from altering time."

"How are we supposed to help him?" Yashiro asks. "I mean, he's in the past right now. We have no way of getting to him."

Uzuki points to the Time Gate that's sitting on the coffee table, in the same place where Link had left it. "We'll use that."

"That won't work, Uzuki," Mitsuhiro objects. "Link has already spent some time in the past – when we go back, we'll just be messing up the time continuum even more."

Kurenai stands up. "Send me and Matsuda then."

The Reapers look at them in shock.

"Kurenai, we can't send you in alone!" Uzuki exclaims. "And even if we send you, it won't change anything."

"Kurenai can see the future," Matsuda says. "She can see far ahead enough so that she won't change anything in the time continuum. Just match up a diary entry with that of the Time Gate's, send her in, and she'll take care of it."

Uzuki thinks about it for a moment. "But even then . . . you can't defend yourselves very well."

"She's not bad at fighting when she has to fight," Matsuda objects. "Besides, it's just to tell Link the future."

Uzuki sighs. ". . . Fine. I'll send you in."

The other Reapers give her the shocked look now.

"Uzuki, they won't be able to do it," Yashiro hisses. "You're talking crazy right now."

"I'll be going with them," Uzuki says. "I have to go with them – I'm the only one here besides Link who can activate the Time Gate." She rips out a page from the Tim Gate and begins to write a new entry, scrawling it quickly in pen. She smacks it down onto the coffee table when she's finished, waiting for the page to activate.

She looks at Kurenai and Matsuda, and takes their hands. "Don't let go of me while we're in there, alright?" she says to them. "Don't let go of me until we've made it through to the other side."

Matsuda and Kurenai both nod, gripping her hands tightly.

Uzuki brings them over to the Time Gate, and takes her hand away from Kurenai's just for a moment so she can place her hand on the page, activating the portal. Then she takes Kurenai's hand again.

"Ready?" she asks them.

They both nod. "Ready."

With their hands in hers, she pulls them into the portal, their bodies getting sucked through like a vacuum. Their bodies morph around inside the portal for what feels like forever to them, until they've arrived in Hyrule Castle Town.

Uzuki looks around, trying to assess the situation, when she hears a loud screech from Hyrule Castle.

"That must be them," Uzuki says. She takes Kurenai and Matsuda's hands again and pulls them through the crowds.

Before they make it to the castle, they run into Dex and the Deity.

"Dex!" Uzuki calls to them. "Where's Link?"

"What the? How the hell are you here?" Dex exclaims, his head placed firmly on his forehead, covering over his right eye.

"We travelled back through the Time Gate," she replies.

"That doesn't seem like a very good idea," Dex growls. "You could be creating a million more cuts in the time stream."

"I know, but do we really have a choice? Kurenai can see the future – she says that Link is in danger, and if we don't do something soon, he'll probably die."

Dex lowers his head, a grim look growing on his face. Then he looks at Kurenai. "You're telling the truth right? No bull?"

Kurenai shakes her head. "Of course not, I'm telling the truth. I'm an Angel."

Dex shudders. "Ick, never thought I'd have to meet someone from _your_ kind. Ah well . . . I guess it won't kill me this once . . ."

Kurenai didn't show any sign of displeasure with his words.

"Is he up in the castle?" Uzuki asks Dex.

"Yeah, but . . . Uzuki, I think he might be trying to use my power . . . and the Deity's at the same time."

Uzuki's expression goes hard. "That idiot . . . ! He's going to get himself killed!"

"Tell me about it," Dex grumbles, rubbing his head. "It's giving me a massive headache."

Uzuki looks up at the castle roof. "Alright, let's go, you two. Link needs our help."

Dex and the Deity nod. Uzuki looks back at Kurenai and Matsuda.

"Are you two ready?"

They both nod as well.

"As we'll ever be," Matsuda laughs.

"I won't let you down," Kurenai says.

Somebody taps Uzuki's shoulder.

"Scuse' me for eavesdropping," the man with the black robe and long blond hair says. "But I do believe we ought to form a truce, no?"

The red-haired one smirks, giving a thumbs-up. "We're already fucked if we lose – after all, we'd rather be on your side."

"Saru!" Uzuki exclaims, immediately recognizing the red-haired man. She jumped him, wrapping her arms tightly around him. "Is that you? It's been years!"

"Good to see you too."

"Wait, aren't these people our enemies?" Matsuda says worriedly.

Dex pats his shoulder reassuringly. "These two aren't on the Society's side. Or at least, they were, until they got sick of the Society's ways. The blond one is Viscen, and the ginger is Saru."

"Fuck off, Dex," Saru growls at Dex's redhead joke.

"But wait, you can't turn against the Society!" Uzuki snaps at Saru. "They'll execute you for that!"

"Eh, we know," Saru sighs. "But it's worth it – I can't stand those bastards and their stupid plans to bring Ganondorf back from the dead. It's all a bunch of bullshit, really."

"How many of you are there?" the Deity asks.

Viscen answers his question, "Ichiru is back in the Dark Realm, keeping tabs on the Society. Kasai – who was a part of Ixion's squad before she died – is trying to convince his sister to join us, and Viscen tried to bring Grimmex over to our side as well. Saru also has all his Twili brethren on his side."

"Sounds like you all have a plan then," Uzuki snickers. "I like the sound of it."

"We aren't going to plan any wide-scale attack yet," Saru objects. "We're going to see how long we can remain spies – the more information we can get, the better."

Uzuki nods. "Alright." She looks up at the moon that's getting closer and closer to the city. "Let's stop this, once and for all."

**Chapter 27 (continued)**

I have a moral staff in my right hand and a bloody knife in my left.

And I . . . am a buzzing bee.

"Buzz, buzz . . ." I laugh out loud. Kronoa stares at me with confused, psychotic eyes.

"What's wrong with you?" he yells. "Stop buzzing like that! It's weird!"

Dex's power makes me go crazy. The Deity's power makes me feel righteous.

And I have been caught in the middle.

"Stop that!" Kronoa screams. "It's freaking me out! You're so weird!"

The power is growing. I can feel it in my chest, my arms, my head, and everywhere else. It's becoming too much.

"Buzz, buzz, buzz . . ."

"I said _stop it_!" Kronoa screams even louder.

I let out my own scream, shadows growing up my legs and consuming my body like snakes. They swallow up my sword, turning it into a similar blade to Kronoa's, its metal becoming a sleek black. I grip the handle and bring it forward. It begins to change shape, turning into a more curved blade, like a katana.

_That's different. It must be the power of the Deity._

Shadows grow from my back in the form of torn-up wings, and my hair begins to turn black as well, with white streaks growing here and there. I'm completely cloaked in shadows now.

I bring my sword up to look at it, and then I smile at Kronoa.

"That's not supposed to be possible!" Kronoa shouts. "Only I can do that!"

I ready my sword as I approach him. Kronoa backs away.

"Leave me alone!" he screams at me; figures, when I'm in a form like this, a form that's similar to him, he becomes afraid of me.

Kronoa continues to back away as I get closer and closer. Eventually, he's reached the edge of the roof, and can't go any further. I keep closing in on him with my sword.

"I said GO AWAY!" Kronoa screams even louder. Suddenly, black wings sprout from his back as well, so similar to mine, and shadows begin to crawl up his arms. His sword vanishes, and he suddenly grows black claws from his fingers, and fangs from his mouth. This is a very unexpected change, one that I definitely didn't expect.

I can feel my heart pounding wildly in my chest. My head is starting to feel heavy. I don't think I can take much more of this.

Suddenly, I fall to my knees, the shadows dispersing from my body.

Kronoa makes a loud screech. "Hahaha! I knew you weren't as strong as me!"

I try to get back to my feet, but it's no use. My legs feel like lead, and my head is swimming with dizziness and pain.

Kronoa brings up one of his hands, his claws protruding from his fingertips.

"Die!" he screams before bringing his hand down to give me the final blow . . .

There's no pain. I open my eyes to see Kurenai standing there, her angel wings spread, and her staff-like scythe brought up to block Kronoa's claws.

"Go, now!" she grunts.

"Kurenai!" I gasp. Uzuki slides over to me and helps me out of the line of attack, leaving Kronoa to Kurenai.

"Wait, you can't let her fight him alone!" I hiss at Uzuki.

"We've got everything under control, Link!" Uzuki says back to me. "But more importantly, are you alright?"

I nod. "Just a little dizzy, that's all."

She smiles at me. "That'll teach you to bite off more than you can chew."

I smirk at her. "It's nice to see you're doing better now too."

Uzuki nods, and withdraws her scythe. I notice that Saru and Viscen are standing just a few feet away.

"Hey!" I call to them.

"Sup, bro?" Saru laughs. "You sure got yourself into a heap of trouble, didn't you?"

"Yeah, I guess . . ." I snicker.

When I feel the rumbling in the ground, I look up to see how close the moon is.

"Don't worry, we'll take care of it," Viscen tells me.

I soon see Dex as well, who's just making it up over the roof's edge with the Deity.

"You're an idiot, you know that?" Dex mumbles angrily at me.

I laugh weakly at him. "Yeah, I know . . ."

The Deity offers his hand to me. "Well? Are we going to finish this?" he chuckles.

I take his hand, and then he helps me up to my feet.

"You bet," I say back with a smile. The three of us draw our swords together.

"We'll need a plan though," Uzuki reminds us.

I nod. "Dex, the Deity, and I will take care of Ikkashi." I look at Viscen and Saru. "You two try and handle Kronoa over there." Then I turn to Zero, Uzuki, and Kon. "You three, do whatever you can to keep the rest of us safe – you never know when another Society member will attack."

"Got it," Uzuki says. She nudges her head in the other direction, looking at Zero and Kon when she does it. "Come on, you two. We've got a castle to protect."

I look up at Ikkashi, who's still summoning the moon even closer.

"How are do you suppose we keep that thing from getting any closer?" I ask my two other halves as they stare up at the sky with me.

The Deity speaks up, "Let me handle it. You and Dex take care of Ikkashi, and I'll use all of my power to push that monstrosity back."

"You sure you can handle it alone?" I snicker.

"Majora's Mask and I are of the same energy level," he tells me. "If the Mask can bring a moon down, I should be able to push it back up."

"Be careful out there, old man," Dex laughs. "You're not as strong as you were a thousand years ago."

The Deity smiles, and then walks with the both of us towards Ikkashi and the moon, where we will hopefully put an end to all of this.

**An Interlude**

"How do you think we're going to take care of this thing?" Saru asks Viscen as he stares at the twitching white-haired boy standing before him.

"I have no idea," Viscen mutters back.

Kronoa twirls around on his feet, and smiles at the two Reapers.

"Heeeey, I recognize you two!" he laughs. "I'm so happy to see you! It's been so long! I thought we wouldn't be able to see each other ever again!"

"Alright, this is officially getting weird," Saru sighs. He rips out a knife and flings it straight at Kronoa, striking him in the stomach.

Kronoa looks down in shock at the knife, and takes it out from his body.

"Y-You just . . . what's wrong with you?" Kronoa screams. "I thought we were friends!"

"Sorry, buddy, but you've officially been kicked out of the cool club," Saru sighs as he takes out his sword, the metal shifting around until it gets longer and bigger.

"That's not fair!" Kronoa shrieks. "Iwata isn't going to be happy with you!"

"We're aware of that," Viscen sneers. "But right now our only concern is taking you out."

"Go away! I don't want you near me!"

Viscen pulls out his staff, and begins to mutter an enchantment to himself. Suddenly, long, spiny white arms stained with blood grow out of the castle roof, grabbing Kronoa by his arms and legs and holding him up above the ground.

"Whoa, freaky shit there, bro," Saru shudders.

A large white body starts to grow out of the ground as well, with black holes for eyes and large, sharp teeth.

"EWWWW!" Kronoa screams at the top of his lungs as he stares into the eyes of the monster. "THAT'S DISGUSTING! WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?"

Kronoa's sword starts to melt into a black puddle, seeping into his body, staining his white cloak and his skin. Kronoa lets out a long, high scream, and the black pools suddenly lash out as very sharp spikes, darting in and out of his body in very rapid movements, cutting through anything near him within a three foot radius.

"Whoa, what is that?" Saru exclaims.

Viscen ignores him, and starts to warm up another enchantment before Kronoa can escape from the monster's grasp. Black chains start to swoop up from the ground, catching Kronoa by his arms and legs and pushing him hard against a black wall that also emerges with the chains. The chains tie him down tightly by the arms and legs, and even cover over his chest.

"Alright, now time to figure out what this thing is," Viscen growls, pulling one of the golden decorations of his staff and revealing it to be a small knife. He takes both his staff and the knife with him as he approaches the chained-up Kronoa.

Viscen brings the knife up and slices it through Kronoa's cheek. A trail of blood falls from his skin, but the wound quickly heals, leaving only the one single drop.

"Stop that!" Kronoa yells as Viscen slices the knife through the same spot again. "That hurts!"

Viscen quickly rubs the blood off onto the blade of his knife before the wound can heal again, and places the blood into a small vial he retrieves from his pocket. Then he turns around and walks away.

"Do what you want with him," he tells Saru.

Saru smiles wildly. "I would be _honoured_." He shortens his sword into a small dagger, and brings it up to Kronoa's neck.

"You've caused us all a lot of shit, you know that?" he sneers at the boy. "Killing you is going to be fun."

Kronoa suddenly smiles, and his eyes go small and wide. "Oh, haven't you heard?" he asks.

"I don't think you have heard," he says right after.

"How could you not have heard?" *

"I don't die."

"I don't really bleed."

"You can't kill me."

Saru punched him in the face to shut him up.

"Do you _ever _listen to yourself?" Saru growls. "Sure, you may not bleed, but that just means I'll enjoy beating the shit out of you _more_! I can beat you up as much as I want and you won't die!" Saru brings his fist back and continues to punch the boy in the face, knocking some blood out from his mouth but still remaining in perfect condition none of the less.

"Saru!" Viscen calls back to him. "That's enough. If he's not going to die, then there's no point in trying to fight him any further."

"Come on, I'm having fun with this," Saru says back.

"Fine. I'm going on ahead to help Link."

"Go right ahead. I'll be here, keeping an eye on this piece of _garbage_," he says, turning back to see Kronoa, who's now glaring at him with hostile, red eyes.

"Oh yes, you and I are going to have a _lot _of fun," Saru snickers as he cracks his knuckles, while Viscen flies overhead to find Link.

* * *

"Kon, is everything secure?" Uzuki asks through the C.T. crystal screen.

"Yep," Kon replies. "Matsuda and I don't see anything at all."

"Have you checked on Kurenai?"

"Uh-huh. She's secure over on the west side. Everything's dandy here on the east."

"Good. I haven't seen anything either."

Kon suddenly notices a man in a black cloak down below on the street, quickly approaching the castle.

"Wait . . . I see something!" Kon yells into the crystal. "He's here on the east side, approaching the castle quickly! He's wearing a black cloak!"

"Blue hair?"

Kon peers at the man. "Yeah!"

"That must be Grimmex. I'll meet up with you there in a moment! Prepare yourselves, this may get dangerous. I'll notify Kurenai."

The screen disappears, and Kon drops the crystal back around his neck again. He turns to Matsuda.

"Get ready," he tells him. "There's a Reaper approaching."

Matsuda nods, and pulls out one of his many staffs, and then another, until he has three equipped, two in his hands and one floating around him with his wind magic to support it.

A black cloud soon appears, landing near Kon and Matsuda. When it disappears, they see Uzuki and Kurenai standing there. They both draw their scythe weapons.

"Okay, so here's the plan," Uzuki begins. "We ambush him. Matsuda and Kurenai, I want you two to stay with me at _all times_, you understand? This isn't going to be easy – Grimmex is from Jun's squad, so he's very powerful. If he's the same as he was when I first met him, he still uses electricity to fight. You have to avoid his weapon as much as you can to avoid being shocked. And ironically enough, he can control water too, so try not to lead him to a body of water."

"Got it," Matsuda says.

"Understood," Kurenai whispers.

Uzuki takes the three kids and guides them towards the edge of the rooftop, helping them jump onto the ground below so that they can follow Grimmex.

The four of them begin to split up, Matsuda, Kurenai and Uzuki staying together, and Kon going off on his own.

"We have to keep him away from the castle," Uzuki whispers to the two angels. "Stay here. I'm going to push him away from the castle." She begins to summon her Soul power inside of her. "Alright, Yashiro . . . let's see if I can pull this off." She begins to open a portal inside of her body, and in one quick movement, expands the portal and sucks herself inside of it, disappearing completely.

Uzuki's body warps through the portal, but something starts to go wrong. She hears a shriek right next to her ear, and sees the demon that's inside the portal with her. Uzuki tries to strike it away with her own power.

"Go . . . away!" she screams at it.

The demon shrieks and then disappears into nothingness.

Uzuki soon reappears, standing right in front of Grimmex, and before he can react, she blasts a strong force of energy into his chest with the palms of her hands, knocking him straight back the way he came. She keeps teleporting closer to him each time he lands, blowing him back further and further every time, until he's out of the castle area and in the central area of Hyrule Castle Town again.

Soon, Grimmex sees through her pattern, and grabs her by the arm before she can strike again, throwing her up high into the air. Grimmex leaps up and brings his fists down on her chest, knocking her straight back down again, right into the ground.

After a moment of pulling herself together, Uzuki gets up from the crater left from her body's impact and prepares herself for battle. Kurenai and Matsuda watch from their hiding spot as she and Grimmex fight in the middle of the city, pedestrians running away to avoid getting caught in the fight.

"W-What should we do?" Matsuda asks Kurenai nervously.

"I don't know, Matsuda . . ." Kurenai hushes him.

"We have to help her!"

"We're doing as we're told. We have to wait here."

"But-"

"Matsuda, you can't just go running off to do things that are dangerous."

Matsuda sighs. "I know, but . . . Uzuki is . . ."

"She'll be fine. She's strong."

Uzuki blocks one of Grimmex's strong punches, and counterattacks with her own strike to his side, trying to cut one of his pressure points. It doesn't do much good though, and he throws another punch at her, striking her hard in the shoulder.

Kon soon notices them fighting, and jumps in to help her. With a kunai in hand, he brings it up to cut at Grimmex, but he sees the attack right away and grabs his wrist, throwing him into the fountain in the center of the area. He smiles, and releases several strings from his robe sleeves, the strings latching on to Uzuki. Waves of electricity begin to travel through the strings, reaching Uzuki's body and shocking her.

Grimmex turns his attention to Kon, who's trying to get out of the fountain. He summons the water out from the fountain with his hand brought up, trapping Kon in a sphere of water. Kon floats in the center of the sphere, holding his breath and trying to swim his way out.

"Oh no, he's trapped!" Matsuda exclaims. He grabs Kurenai's hand. "We have to go help him!"

Kurenai looks at him, and then at the two Time Keepers who are both in serious danger. She takes out her special scythe.

"I'll take care of it," she says. "Stay here."

She runs out with her scythe in hand, making it to Uzuki while Grimmex's attention is still on Kon. She brings the blade of the weapon up to cut the strings, severing the flow of electricity to her body. Uzuki falls to the ground in a heap, her body convulsing from all the remaining electricity that's still flowing through her body. She begins to cough up blood.

She smiles at Kurenai. "T-Thanks."

Grimmex soon spots Kurenai, and blasts her back with a ball of the remaining water from the fountain that isn't trapping Kon. Kurenai falls to the ground, but makes it back up anyway, preparing herself to fight.

"So what are you going to do, throw water balls at us?" Uzuki snickers.

Grimmex glares at them, and begins to send waves of electricity through the ball of water that's containing Kon, shocking him with even more electricity that had been shocking Uzuki. When the electricity has passed, Kon is unconscious, drowning in the water.

"No . . .!" Kurenai gasps.

"That was a warning," Grimmex growls.

"You . . . you bastard!" Uzuki cries out, bringing her fist up to punch him, but he grabs her fist and sends a massive amount of electricity into her body, knocking her back.

Kurenai stares at him in fear, suddenly drained of all her will to fight him.

Still keeping the ball of water focused around Kon, Grimmex approaches her, preparing a small ball of electricity in his free hand. Kurenai falls to her knees, her eyes quivering with fear.

"Hold it right there!" a voice screams from behind them. They all look up to see Matsuda, the staff just leaving his hand and heading straight for Grimmex. The weapon goes straight through his body and stays there, the bottom half of it sticking from his front and the blade sticking out from his back.

"Guh . . ." Grimmex chokes, blood coming out from his mouth. He clutches the wound around the staff. The magic ball of water surrounding Kon suddenly disappears, Grimmex having taken his focus off it.

Grimmex falls to his knees, blood still falling from his lips.

"Now!" Uzuki exclaims, bringing a kunai up and tying a golden band around it. She takes it and slices it through his throat, the light magic eating away at his body and killing him slowly. Grimmex falls to the ground on his side, the spear still sticking through his body.

Uzuki grabs the staff and slowly pulls it out from Grimmex's dead body, the whole thing covered in his blood. She drops it onto the ground, and then kneels down to check to make sure Grimmex is actually dead.

". . . Matsuda," she begins to say. She turns to him, and smiles. "Thank you. You saved our lives."

Matsuda swallows as he looks at the dead body lying on the ground, a pool of blood surrounding him.

"I . . . I can't believe I . . ." He suddenly bursts into tears.

Uzuki pats his shoulder. "Hey, don't worry. It's hard sometimes, I know. But sometimes you just have to accept these things. Had you not done what you did, we would all be dead."

Matsuda looks up at her, tears streaming from his eyes, and hugs her tightly, hiccupping and blubbering out words that barely make any sense.

"Sshh . . ." Uzuki calms him as she rubs his head. "It's alright . . ."

Kurenai speaks up, "But what about Kon?"

Uzuki's eyes widen, and she turns to look at Kon's unconscious body lying in the fountain. She hurries over to him, and feels for a pulse.

"No, no . . ." Uzuki begins to whimper. "Come on, Kon, wake up . . ." She lifts him up out of the fountain and shakes him, trying to wake him up to his senses. "Wake up . . . !" She begins to do chest compressions, hoping that he'll start to breathe again.

Ten minutes pass, and he doesn't awaken.

"No . . . Kon . . ." she cries, tears forming in her eyes.

"Uzuki, stop," Kurenai says to her. "He's gone . . ."

But she doesn't stop. She continues to do the compressions, continues to shake him, and continues to scream his name, hoping that she will get a response.

"Kon!" she screams. "Wake up, you idiot! Wake up!"

She suddenly stops, and begins to think of what she can do. Suddenly, an idea comes into her head. She grabs her small notebook that's kept under her sleeve and the pencil that's behind her ear, and begins to do a small doodle, frantically scribbling the drawing out onto the paper. It ends up looking like some messily-drawn version of Kon's doll form.

She brings the doll to life, setting it down by Kon's unconscious body.

"Alright, buddy, just hang on," Uzuki whispers to him. She begins to focus her energy on Kon's soul, which she can see with her aura abilities.

_If I placed a soul inside his body_, Uzuki thinks as she focuses her energy on him, _then I should be able to take it back out again!_

Suddenly, a warm, glowing ball of green energy floats up from Kon's body. Uzuki's concentrates on it, and starts to move it towards the doll sitting next to Kon's body. She gently places the soul within the doll, the colors sinking into its lifeless body. After she's done, she sits and waits to see if anything will happen.

"Come on . . ." she whispers. "Come on, Kon . . . please . . . wake up . . ."

All of a sudden the eyes on the doll snap open, and the doll sits up to catch its breath.

"K-Kon?" Uzuki stammers.

He catches his breath, and then looks at Uzuki.

"Uzuki? What happened?" he asks. "And . . . why am in some shitty doll body?"

Uzuki grabs him and hugs him tightly, pressing his tiny doll body into hers.

"Hey, stop, you're smothering me!" Kon yells.

"I'm so glad you're alive . . ." Uzuki breathes. She finally sets him down next to her feet. "Let me fix you up a little," she says, preparing her sketchbook again.

"Ooh, make me look really tough and cool!"

Uzuki laughs, a tear rolling down her cheek. "Of course, Kon, whatever you want."


	28. Thank the Goddess Din For Thursday!

_"Once upon a time, some ten million years ago in that world, there lived that creature . . . _

_One day he smelled the scent of a creature from beyond . . ._

_For three days and three nights, the dragon kept dancing_

_And on the morning of the fourth day, and at the same moment, his breath ceased. _

_At last the world sank.  
_

_All that was left was his armour . . ."_

_The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask Side-Story by Akira Himekawa_

**Time Gate: The Adult Chapters**

**Chapter 28: Thank the Goddess Din for Thursday!**

Dex, the Deity and I walk with our swords held firmly in our hands, heading towards the man cloaked in black with Majora's Mask stuck on his face.

"Ikkashi!" I call out to where he's floating just below the moon's gaze.

Ikkashi looks down at us through the eyes of the cursed mask.

"It's too late to save your kingdom now!" he roars. "Prepare to be crushed with everything else around you!"

I give a brief nudge of the head at the Deity. He understands, and takes out his sword, morphing its form around until it becomes a whip in his hand.

"Sorry, Ikkashi," I growl. "But you're not going to be crushing _anything_ today."

The Deity takes the whip and lashes it out at Ikkashi, the strap wrapping itself around his foot. He starts to pull down on the Reaper from above, pulling him from the sky to the ground. Ikkashi reaches down to try and get the whip off his foot, but when that fails, he starts to launch sharp, thin needles straight at us.

Dex jumps in front of the Deity, blocking the needles with his black blade.

"Dex, you traitor!" Ikkashi hisses. "You had potential with the Society!"

"Please, the only potential I had was suffering while I watched my friends struggle against the likes of you!" Dex hisses as he summons shadows to his hands and launches them to Ikkashi like daggers.

Ikkashi tries to avoid them, but one of them catches him in the arm.

"You're a fool, Dex! If that was the case, then why did you leave them in the first place?"

"It was so I could find out what _monster_ you were brewing inside that castle laboratory of yours!" Dex sneers, launching more shadow daggers at him. "Now that I know, I can't just stand by and watch as it tries to kill the three of us! I don't care how much he wants us dead! I'm not letting him touch us!"

"He merely wants to destroy the _copies_," Ikkashi laughs in a deep voice, and begins to pull away from the whip. The Deity struggles to hold him down, but he breaks free, drawing several needles and launching them at us. We dodge the weapons, and prepare our swords for when Ikkashi descends to the ground, landing gracefully on his feet.

"What do you mean?" I yell at him. "We're not copies of anything!"

"Oh, Dex hasn't told you?" Ikkashi snickers. "Kronoa is a creature born from the combination of your blood. All three of you reside within Kronoa's soul."

_That's not right_, I think angrily to myself. _He can't be . . . when did he get my blood?_

"You'll have to thank Dex for the cooperation," Ikkashi says. "He was the one that got blood from both you and the Deity. It was quite a simple task for him - I knew we could trust him. Things would have probably worked out a little better had he not turned his back on us, but we don't really need him anymore anyway."

I look at Dex with eyes of deceit. "He's not telling the truth, is he?" I shout at him. "Please, tell me it's not true!"

Dex hangs his head in shame. "I'm sorry, Link . . . it was a long time ago, when you were still a kid . . . I was stupid . . ."

"Whether it was stupidity or vengeance, Dex was a key tool in bringing Kronoa to what he is now," Ikkashi says. "Without his help, what could be considered your brother wouldn't be alive right now. Kronoa is a part of all three of you - he has the strengths and abilities that all three of you contain, meshed into one single body, with no weaknesses or faults. Kronoa is _perfect_."

"Nothing is perfect," the Deity steps in. "I thought the same thing when I created that dreadful mask." He points his sword at the cursed mask sealed to Ikkashi's face. Then he chuckles, and lowers his sword back to his side. "Although, my goal was a tad different - I was merely helping a sad creature who could not die, could not live. He was so powerful, but yet so weak . . . I had to do what was best for him. Turning his magical armor into that mask would assure both him and I that his power would never be used by others for evil."

I don't really understand anything that the Deity is saying, but it definitely has something to do with what he did before he became a part of me. And it's also clear now - the Deity is the person who created Majora's Mask. Were the stories of it being a tool of dark magic used by shadow tribes a lie, or did the mask just end up in the hands of those tribes after the Deity disowned it?

"I should have destroyed the mask when I had the chance, but I couldn't bring myself to do it," the Deity sighs, his face marked with shame and regret. "And for some reason, people worshiped me as a god, all because I was the only thing standing between time and life itself."

"Indeed," Ikkashi laughs. "Without you, there would be no such thing as Hyrule, or the Dark Realm, or even living beings. You're even older than the Goddesses. And yet nobody from this time recognizes you anymore; they don't even know your name. You've been lost in history as the God of Hyrule and the realm of nothingness."

The Deity smiles back at the Reaper. "The realm of nothingness . . . indeed, I was the only one - the only person alive on the planet - who was able to overcome that and bring time to life with the power of my music. The only reason I was able to survive that way was because I was a god way before - a god who brought forth everything after, including the Goddesses."

The Deity takes his sword and starts to shape shift it, its metal curving into a strange shape. It continues to curve into a small instrument with strings to pluck - a black harp.

_What's he doing?_

The Deity looks at me with his thin blue eyes.

_Link, trust me, _I can hear him whispering in my thoughts. _I never meant for any of this to happen. It's true, I created this monstrosity. I've been regretting my choice ever since that salesman retrieved it. But trust me when I say this, I will destroy it. But I'm going to need your help_.

I nod in his direction.

_You know, you're going to have to give me a pretty good explanation for this later_, I think back.

_It's the least I can do. But for now, let's focus on the task at hand - we must destroy it._

_I know. What are we going to do?_

_I will stop the moon with my music, _he answers. _I should also be able to stop Ikkashi with it, and if things go well, you should still be able to move; I will allow it so. While time has stopped, grab the __mask from him and kill him. I am the only one that can destroy the mask. _

_Will you be okay?_

_I will be fine._

_Whoa, wait a minute, _Dex suddenly speaks out, having heard our thoughts. _This is a bad idea, man. Won't destroying the Majora's Mask cause you to-"_

_I owe it to Majora to take down this evil,_ the Deity interrupts him._No matter what happens, Dex, make sure that you and Link kill Ikkashi, even if things go wrong._

I'm thrust out of my thoughts when the Deity brings his hand up and starts to trail them down the strings, the music pulsating from the instrument like a loud heartbeat. The song is like a curse, and makes my body feel like shutting down completely, but I shake off the evil feeling and watch as the world around me becomes dark and cold

**A Short Interlude**

Uzuki finishes Kon's body, drawing it the same way as before but adding a few creative touches, including a line of stitching going through his left eye and a scar crossing over his nose. She thought the extra fake scars were a little silly, but she added them anyway.

"You know, if we have to use you as a decoy for Link again, I'm going to have to take these off," Uzuki grumbles.

"Come on, don't ruin the fun I'm having now," Kon sighs as he feels another stitch grow into his hand. "Just let me enjoy this."

While she's working on a third line of stitching, her ears pick up a strange sound, chilling her very being.

"That sound . . ." she shudders. "It sounds like . . . Kon, do you hear-"

But Kon isn't moving, and neither is Kurenai or Matsuda. They're both frozen in place, like they have been turned to stone.

"Kon?" Uzuki gasps as she waves her hand in front of him. "Kurenai! Matsuda!"

The world suddenly becomes very dark, the buildings around her and the ground below her feet disappearing and turning into dark hues of blue, huge square, window-and-doorless buildings towering above her head, in a way that they were almost impressions of the houses and buildings that had just been there. She can still hear the haunted music playing around her.

"Where . . . am I?"

**Chapter 28 (continued)**

This world is cold and lifeless. The castle has been replaced with a huge block-like building with rectangular towers. There's no sign of life or movement here, except for myself and the Deity playing the cursed song on his harp.

I look up at Ikkashi, who's been pinned to the tower across from me, his arms held out as if he were nailed to the building. His head, still wearing the mask, is hung down low, and I can hear him laughing in a very low voice to himself.

With my sword in hand, I approach him, my feet echoing as they hit the smooth surface of the ground. I can feel a chill in the air, but it's odd because there's barely even any atmosphere here - it's almost as if I've been trapped in a box with no air holes. Everything in here feels heavy too, like everything around me - including myself - has gained thirty or forty pounds. In the end, this place is a heavy, dark, cold environment, and I want out.

I look up at Ikkashi, who is still frozen in time with everything else, and then the Deity, who is playing the cursed song on his black harp.

I tightly clutch the handle of my sword as I make my way as quickly as I can towards Ikkashi. I have to strike him down before the Deity finishes his song, and I have to take him down in one hit.

Just as I'm a few feet away from him, I feel something strange pulsate through my body. I look up to see Majora's Mask looking down on me, its eyes glowing red as it pushes strange shockwaves down on me to keep me away.

_Dammit . . . so the mask is still awake. I have to do this. I don't have Dex or the Deity to help me either – I need to do this on my own._

I push myself against the screaming waves, my body as heavy as if it were carrying a bag of bricks.

I look into the eyes of Majora's Mask as I bring up my sword.

I stop, my sword still held high, when the mask starts speaking to me.

"You and I are the same, you know," it giggles. "Killing me isn't going to change anything. We're both demons, cursed to an eternity of insanity and internal suffering."

"You and I," I hiss through gritted teeth as the Triforce on my hand lights up with a black aura, "are _not _the _same_!" bring my sword down on the mask while it's still on Ikkashi's face, the metal trying its best to cut through. I can feel the Deity's and Dex's power surging through me, going straight into the blade and mixing together, until the sword has turned black and silver.

A light bursts from the sword, and when I can see again, I look down at my feet at the mask that's on the ground, split in two.

I'm about to walk away, back to the Deity, when I feel a strange tingling in my back. I spin around to look back at the mask to see a strange black smoke coming out of it. It looks a lot like the colossi souls.

I take off as fast as I can for the Deity so I can tell him to stop playing, but the black shroud reaches my body, consuming me and taking over my mind. The tingling in my head increases to the point that it's electricity, destroying me from the inside out.

I fall to my hands and knees, my body trembling as the darkness fills my body.

**An Interlude**

The Deity plucks the last string of his harp, finishing his song. The shroud of cold and heaviness lifts from around him, turning the clock again for Hyrule.

He stares ahead to see Link facing him, on his hands and knees with his head hung to the ground.

"Link . . . ?" he mutters as he approaches him, putting his harp back inside his robes.

Link lets out a low, psychotic laugh.

"Link!"

Link shoots his gaze up at the Deity, his eyes a deep, demonic red, with markings similar to the Majora's Mask drawn on his face.

"We meet again . . ." Link snickers, his voice raising. "_Deity!_" He leaps to his feet and takes the Deity to the ground, bringing his hand up with sharpened fingernails like claws, ready to strike. The Deity catches his hand before he can strike him, and blows a wave of energy into Link, knocking him off.

The Deity gets to his feet again, and stares at the possessed Link.

"Majora!" he roars. "Get out of his body!"

Link – now revealed as Majora – smiles at the Deity, and gets to his feet.

"You should have known destroying the mask wouldn't stop me," he laughs. "As long as I keep switching bodies like this, I'll never die."

"Majora, this isn't the life that you strived for," the Deity replies with saddened eyes.

"You killed me, Deity!"

"I _freed_ you!"

Majora glares at the Deity and begins to circle him, his right hand shoved into his pocket with his left hand out.

"You _freed_ me?" Majora snickers. "Don't make me laugh. You played that infernal music and killed me."

"You were peaceful at the time, Majora," the Deity sighs. "I don't know what happened to you, but you were a much kinder spirit before. Something changed inside of you."

"Be _quiet!" _the demon shrieks, the intensity of his voice sending a shock wave through the ground, digging up the roof of the castle. The Deity leaps over to his right to avoid it.

"Majora, stop this!" the Deity screams, sending his own shock wave of light towards the demon. Majora claps his hands over the sides to stop it. The blast pushes him back a few feet, but he holds on to the wave, until it shatters into a million pieces like glass, disappearing into little bursts of light afterwards.

The Deity continues to swing the huge shards of light at him, hoping that he can break the demon's guard. Majora dodges them all, getting closer and closer to the Deity as he moves along the rooftop.

Hearing a crash from nearby, the Deity looks back to see the moon pushing into one of the castle towers, compressing it to pieces.

_I can't destroy Majora while he's still in Link's body . . . !_ the Deity panicks in his thoughts.

_Do we have a choice? _Dex's voice joins in on his thoughts.

_Dex, if I destroy the demon now, I'll kill Link!_

_But remember what Link did to get it out? He cut the mask! You have to destroy the vessel to get the spirit out!_

The Deity readies his sword. _Oh no, I don't. I have a better idea._

The Deity stops his attacks and backs away slowly, towards the edge of the castle roof.

Dex glares at the Deity as he backs away.

_Dei . . . ? What are you doing?_ He thinks suspiciously as he watches the demonic god back towards the roof, Majora closing in further on him.

"Stop cowering away and fight me!" Majora screams at the Deity as he approaches him further with his claw-like fingers drawn.

The Deity continues to back away, until he's reached the edge of the roof. Majora closes in more and more, but doesn't attack.

"You look like you have something on your mind," Majora snickers. "Giving up, are we?" He closes the gap between him and the Deity, standing just a half-foot away, claws ready.

The Deity looks into the psychotic red eyes of his former friend, a look of sorrow growing in his own eyes.

"I didn't want to have to do this, Majora, but you leave me no choice," the Deity sighs. "You want to be stronger, correct? Then take me."

Majora stares at him.

"My body is stronger than Link's – so take me."

_Dei, I swear to hell . . . !_

_Quiet, Dex. It's the only way._

Majora examines the Deity's calm face, and then smiles, his fangs sticking out like knives from the corners of his mouth.

"It seems you're serious," he says sternly.

The Deity smiles. "Of course."

Link's body starts to seep with a strange shadow, until he collapses to the ground, unconscious, and the shadow takes on a form that almost looks human in a demonic kind of way, with long arms that end with clawed hands, long, messy black hair, and red eyes that stare deep into the Deity's eyes.

"I'm sorry, Majora . . ." the Deity whispered as the demon edged closer to him, bearing long fangs from his shadowy mouth. "But . . . you leave me no choice . . . !" The Deity quickly pulls the demon down off the roof with him, the both of them falling down towards the ground. The demon tries to claw at him while they're falling, but the Deity holds him back with a few guards as well as a few punches, most of which go straight through the demon.

As they're falling, the Deity summons his power forth, his eyes going completely white and glowing, his silver hair lighting up as well and his Triforce illuminating a white light from his left hand. The shadows of the demon suddenly get absorbed into the Deity's body like a vacuum, disappearing underneath the Deity's skin.

The Deity's eyes go back to their original color, and then he closes them, falling into a deep slumber before landing hard on the ground below.

"Dei!" Dex screams, leaning over the rooftop to see the unconscious spiritual swordsman laying motionless on the ground below. He leaps off the rooftop, landing on a pillow of shadows before stepping onto the paved ground, and gets to his knees to examine him.

"Wake up, you idiot!" Dex growls as he violently shakes the Deity's shoulders.

"Wake up!"

**Chapter 28 (continued)**

Ugh. My head.

When I open my eyes, the first thing I see is the moon's pleasant face staring back down at me. Not something I'd like to see the moment I wake up from a really bad dream.

I look around to see that the Deity and Dex are gone. But my head is hurting – I feel like I just got a whole part of my soul ripped out of me. I don't know how to explain it any better than that.

"Shit . . ." I cough as I bring myself back up to a sitting position. "What happened . . . ?"

The earth suddenly trembles and the moon crashes into the next tower on the castle, breaking more of it off and sending the rubble crashing down below.

"Dammit . . . !" I hiss, jumping to my feet. I look for my sword, which has been set down several feet away. I run to grab it and then I start to look for Dex and the Deity. The Deity is the only one who can stop this thing from falling and destroying all of Hyrule. We only have a few minutes left.

I leap off the roof, but am shocked when I see the Deity laying right underneath me, Dex kneeling by his side. I quickly twist my body around and jam my sword into the wall of the castle, bracing my feet against the castle as well so that the sword catches me and keeps me from landing. Then I slowly make my way down the wall so that I don't land on them.

"What happened?" I ask worriedly as I kneel down on the other side of my unconscious companion.

"He . . . he tried to kill Majora by absorbing him into his own body . . . !" Dex yelled. "I think he's . . . dead."

I stare down at the Deity, my eyes and body trembling with fear.

"No, he . . . he can't be . . ." I gasp.

"There's no heartbeat, Link . . ."

I smirk at him, and laugh, but it's really a laugh of denial. "No, he can't be dead . . . would he even have a heartbeat? I mean, he's-"

"I have one," Dex interrupts me. "He has one too."

I try to calm my nerves, but it's no use – there's a possibility that my friend, my companion, a _part of me_, may be dead.

. . . No wonder I had the sudden headache.

"But wait, he's the only one who can stop the moon from falling!" I gasp as I look up at the moon that's slowly destroying the top of Hyrule Castle. "What are we going to do?"

"I don't know, Link . . ." Dex sighs, his head hung low.

I look back down at my friend. I lean over him and try to listen for a heartbeat, but there is none.

"Please, wake up . . ." I cry silently. "You're my friend, and I can't do this without you . . . please . . ." I can feel my pulse rising with fear and anger. "Please . . . !" The Triforce on my hand begins to light up. "Wake up!"

The ground begins to tremble violently, so much that it seems it's not going to stop. This is the end.

I take my left hand and jam my palm straight into his chest, a light growing from the spot I hit.

"WAKE UP!"

* * *

Where . . . am I?

It looks like time has stopped again. The world looks like it did when the Deity was playing his music, all blue and cold and lifeless, the buildings huge square structures with no windows, bricks, or tiles.

_But how? The Deity is . . ._

Before I can finish my thought, something roars at me from afar.

I look up to see a strange-looking dragon-like creature fly down at me. He doesn't have wings – it's like he's just hovering, soaring closer and closer to me until he abruptly stops only a few inches away from my face. He's very large, and has horns sticking out the sides of his mouth, as well as white mane hanging around his long face, deep red eyes, and all the way down his body. He has sharp claws and a long, serpent-like tail. Maybe he's not a dragon. Maybe he's something else.

"Play me a song, young one . . ." he says to me as he steps down onto the ground, down from his hovering position.

"W-What?"

He nudges his head towards the sack that's suddenly appeared next to me. I reach for it and loosen the string. The bag falls open, revealing a single, handmade drum.

"Play it?" I ask him. "I'm sorry, but I'm not . . ."

The dragon nods. "I know that you are not him. But you are one with him. Please, play me the song, as a final ode for your friend, as well as for me."

I stare at him, and then I nod, bringing my hands down gently upon the face of the drum. I begin to play a small, interpreted song on the drum – it feels much like playing the drums I play when I'm in my Goron form – and suddenly, the dragon starts to dance, twirling around on his dragon feet and shuffling from one side to the other. A little surprised and caught off-guard, I still continue to play, becoming submersed in the gentle beats that the drum makes while I watch the mysterious dragon dance in front of me, his mane swaying in all directions.

He soon stops dancing, and walks past me towards the Deity's body. He leans his head down and exhales onto the Deity's face, his breath appearing like a white cloud in this cold environment. Then he backs away and smiles at me.

"It has been many years since I have heard that drum being played," the dragon says. "It is time we ended this, don't you think?"

I smile back, and then he turns around, lifting off into the air again.

"Bid him farewell for me, young one," he says before taking off for the skies.

Suddenly, the world starts to turn again. The drum is no longer in my hands, and the ground below me is trembling a lot more now.

The sound of a familiar voice makes me smile.

I turn to see the Deity laying on the ground, his eyes open. He lets out a few coughs and then says, "Link? What happened? Where's Majora?"

"Majora is . . ."

I stare up at the sky where the dragon left in the timeless world.

". . . He said that he had to leave."

The Deity looks at me, and then sighs.

". . . I see. That's good then."

"You're an idiot, you know that?" Dex scolds him, hitting him hard over the back of his head.

"Please, don't push me around like that . . ." the Deity grumbles.

"We were worried about you, and all you can say is, 'That's good then'? How shallow can you be?"

"Dex, it's fine. Right now, we need to focus on the moon."

The Deity carefully gets to his feet.

"Leave it to me."

The Triforce on his hand begins to shine with a white glow, and his eyes disappear, glowing white as well, along with his flowing hair. A strange power begins to surround him, blowing his robe and his hair in all directions and pushing us further away. Then, in one swift movement, he swings his arms around himself, disappearing like a flicker.

"Huh? Where'd he go?" Dex exclaims.

I can feel his presence nearby. I look back at the fountain, where he's standing atop the statue in the centre. He brings his hands up and starts to cast a strange spell that creates a barrier between the castle and the moon. Curling his fingers in tightly, he increases the intensity of the spell, the wind around him increasing and raising the water in the fountain.

He tightens his hands even more, the barrier getting stronger, and begins to raise his arms in a way that almost looks like they're struggling against an imaginary object – struggling to keep the barrier intact.

"Come on, we have to help him!" Dex says to me, and grabs my arm, taking me up to the castle roof. He places me in the centre of the roof, right below the moon and the Deity's force field, and goes into a special stance.

"Just do what I do," he tells me. "Focus all of your energy into one point, and push it forward with your hands. It's easy."

I'm really hoping this is going to be a 'spur of the moment' thing, because personally, I have no idea if I'm going to be able to do this right.

I follow Dex's movements, focusing my energy through my hands and then towards the moon, right in the middle of the Deity's barrier. Dex gets his up first, creating a black, twilight-like barrier that mixes with the Deity's white barrier. It creates a very monochrome look – yin and yang, working together to stop the destruction of the world.

Finally, I start to create what looks like the barriers that Dex and the Deity have created. It's a golden color, much like the light that's coming from my Triforce, and comes out of my hands to form a golden wall, mixing with Dex's shadows and the Deity's white light to create what looks like a wall of twilight. The moon almost looks like it's stopping as it hits the wall, but the flames have started covering the surface of the moon, and are fighting hard against our barrier.

_Don't let it go_ . . . _!_ Dex grunts from his spot across from me, his arms being pushed down by some imaginary force and a tense look on his face. He's looks ready to fall to his knees any second. And personally, I'm not doing all that great either – the Deity is the only one who has a decent straight face, but even he looks like he's starting to struggle.

I listen to Dex's words and keep the wall pressed high, my arms trembling from the heaviness of the Soul power needed. Our walls stay mixed together, fighting against the flames that are bursting from the moon.

_I can't . . . I can't let it go . . ._

**An Interlude**

Uzuki stares up at the moon as it falls into the castle, a thick wall of twilight pressing hard against the flames it's emitting.

"Do you think . . . do you think they'll make it?" Kurenai asks nervously.

Uzuki clenches her fists and grits her teeth.

_I need your help_, she thinks, her face tensing.

_Oh, so now you want me to help you? You humans are so naive._

_I'm not human. I never was. And you should know that if I die, you die too. _

_There is no value in helping you. _

Uzuki furiously brings her hands back, both of them curled into fists, and starts to grind her teeth together.

_As long as you are in my body, I will control you! I am not, and never will be, your puppet!_

In that moment, black shadows burst from around Uzuki like a ring, swirling around her trembling body.

"Give me . . . your power!" she screams. The shadows fly in to her body, consuming it and transforming it into that of a demon's form. Black, crooked, ripped wings sprout from her skin, and her clothes transform into a dress made of bloody bandages. Her fingernails grow out long, their color becoming black, until they're all different lengths of rectangles. The thorn design on her right shoulder grows out rapidly, wrapping itself around her arm and down her fingertips. Her teeth grow into small but sharp fangs, and the scar rips itself open, widening itself and nearly covering her entire right cheek.

Kurenai and Matsuda jump back from the woman that has pure evil power flowing around her entire body.

"What's happening to her?" Matsuda gasps as he watches Uzuki's body change from a Reaper to a demon.

"I don't know," Kurenai says in a trembling voice.

Kon stares wide-eyed at Uzuki's transformation, and soon finds his own body trembling as well.

_It's just like Mitsuhiro!_ he realizes. _But . . . is it really the same demon? She can't possibly be . . . !_

Uzuki finally steps out of the swarm of black shadows, her fingers twitching as she smiles psychotically up at the moon above her, and the Society Reaper who's slowly gaining consciousness from behind Link, unseen.

In a lightning-quick blur, Uzuki takes off, her body disappearing like a hologram. In less than half a second she's on the rooftop, staring down at the Reaper on his knees.

"Ikkashi!" she hisses, her voice deep and growling.

The Reaper snaps his head up to look at her, without a mask.

_So this . . . this is why he wears the masks._

Uzuki stares down at his face, stitches sewn in every which way and all kinds of things changed about it. His left eye is red, his right eye yellow; he has fangs on one side of his mouth and regular teeth on the other; his hair is mangy and burnt in some places; his skin has more scars than all of the Time Keepers combined – and yet, it seems like a strange beauty to Uzuki.

_This man does experiments on himself. He beat me to it._

Ikkashi smiles at Uzuki, fangs appearing on one side of his mouth.

"My, my, it seems you've awakened your inner demon," he chuckles. He feels his face for a moment, and then sighs. "And it seems I need something else to wear now . . ." He reaches into his cloak and pulls out a mask that has dark black eyes, black lips, curved, thin black eyebrows, and a nose that's been pushed out for Ikkashi's face.

Uzuki's mouth drops open at the sight of the horrific, yet all-so-familiar mask, and begins to back away.

"Ooh, a little scared, are we?" he chuckles again as he gets to his feet and equips the mask. "Well, I guess even in demon form you can't get over your own childish fears."

"That mask . . . !" Uzuki hisses. "T-Take it off, right now!"

"I'm sorry, my dear Uzuki, but I must wear it to hide my true face," he laughs. "Actually, I can see why you would want me to take it off – currently, this mask is actually scaring you _more_ than my face, isn't it?"

"I said take it off!" Uzuki shouts, trying to keep her gaze off him and his terrifying mask.

"I kept this mask for a situation like this," Ikkashi continues. "I've heard the stories of your little escapades with the Fairy Tree Man when you were alive. I was lucky to find something that scared you just as much after reading about the stories."

"Shut up!"

"Don't worry, I have no bond with the Fairy Tree Man, so it's not like I'm going to call him on you," Ikkashi laughs. "This mask is enough to petrify you."

Uzuki blinks, and attempts to shake away her fear, reminding herself of her mission.

"I'm not going to back down for something as silly as that," she says sternly as she lifts her head and stares him right in the face.

Ikkashi drops his weapons and prepares his claw-like hands – obviously another product of his self-experimentation – and bursts into a run towards her, hands held out to catch her.

Suddenly, horrific images – memories of Uzuki's human life – flash in front of the Time Keeper's eyes, and she finds herself freezing up again. That horrible memory . . . so similar to this very moment . . .

Uzuki swallows her fear all at once, and right before Ikkashi makes it to her, she blocks his move, and strikes him away with a half-moon kick to the stomach-area.

"Impressive . . . I've never seen someone so courageous as you . . . so courageous that you even faced your childhood fear," Ikkashi spits.

"I've learned to block out fear," Uzuki hisses.

"I guess that would be required," Ikkashi snickers. "After all, you do have that _thing_ in you . . ."

"Don't you dare say it . . . !"

Ikkashi laughs under his breath from behind his smiling mask.

". . . The Kyodai no Akuma!"

**Chapter 28 (continued)**

I spin around to see Uzuki and Ikkashi face-to-face, all while keeping my magic focused as best as I can.

"Uzuki, you . . . you're the Kyodai no Akuma?" I shout angrily in her direction. "Why didn't you ever tell me?"

Uzuki turns her demonic head in my direction, but doesn't say anything, and goes back to facing Ikkashi.

"Uzuki!" I scream, but I have to turn back to focus more on the barrier. I can't help but feel a tiny bit betrayed – obviously, she's known this the whole time, but never bothered to tell me. But I can't help but wonder . . . how is it that both Mitsuhiro and Uzuki have the Kyodai no Akuma trapped in their bodies?

"Link, let's finish this!" the Deity yells at me. "We need to focus the three of our energy together! We have to synchronize our energy!"

I nod, and then look at Dex for clarification. He nods as well.

I bring forth Dex's power and then shoot it to the Deity, who shoots it back to Dex and back to me again, so that we're going in a circle. Just as the Deity releases Dex's power for the second time, he passes on his own energy, handing it to me so I can hand it to Dex. I don't even know how we're doing this right now – all I can do is consider it a 'spur of the moment' thing . . . an adrenaline rush.

Just as I pass the Deity's power to Dex, I summon my own energy from the power of the Triforce and my own Soul power, sending it straight for Dex.

I can feel the energy levels within me changing already, so much that's it's almost too much to bear, but I focus all I can into controlling it, until the energy between the three of us is moving in complete harmony, like a song. Our barrier slowly grows around the moon, containing the flames and flying rocks.

With my hands still open and the veins showing through both sides of them, I push my arms as hard as I can further up, forcing my barrier higher with Dex's and the Deity's. They both mimic my movements, tightening the pressure on their energy levels and raising the barrier higher yet.

"Do it _now_!" Dex screams at me.

The three of us begin to close our barrier together, closing it up over the top of the moon like an oversized, transparent bag.

"Give it your all!" I shout back at my other halves.

In one split moment, I focus all the energy I have left into the middle of the barrier, straight into the moon. With Dex and the Deity doing the same thing, our energy brews together within the moon, in the centre of our barriers, and then all at once, the energy bursts out like a bomb, blowing up the entire moon right above the castle.

Then, flames consume me, and the world disappears.

* * *

When I open my eyes again, I see a wall of twilight right above us, a huge cloud of smoke billowing along the outside, away from us.

_What . . . ?_

I turn my head along the roof of the castle, looking over at Uzuki, who's struggling to hold her own arms up. A wall of twilight to protect us.

I immediately get to my feet, my vision still blurry from the whole event, and I draw my sword, heading straight for Ikkashi, who's gripping his arm as if he was injured. She probably injured him while I wasn't looking, most likely before I even knew she was there . . .

. . . in her demon form.

"Hold it right there!" I shout at the Reaper, holding my sword up to stop him.

"Oh, hello," Ikkashi says casually, his hand wrapped tightly around his opposite arm.

"No more tricks," I tell him. "We've defeated Majora, and now we're going to take care of you. You have nowhere else to run." I stare into his right eye, which is now visible due to the mask being burned off on one side. It must have gotten blown up somehow in the explosion, and yet he's still in one piece.

Uzuki turns to face Ikkashi as well, drawing a black scythe out from a cloud of shadows, its blade ragged and crooked.

Matsuda and Kurenai suddenly appear as well, both of them with weapons drawn. Eventually, Dex and the Deity come to as well, both of them with swords gripped in their hands. Even Kon is with them, his hands loaded with kunais between each fingertip. I don't know when Kurenai, Matsuda, Kon, and Uzuki got here, but chances are they used my Time Gate back at the house.

"You're outnumbered seven-to-one," I growl.

"Should we take him prisoner?" Kon snickers, cracking his knuckles.

"Yeah, I'd like to beat the shit out of this guy a bit," Dex laughs.

Ikkashi looks at the seven of us, as if he's examining our faces. Then he locks eyes with Kurenai, who is trembling slightly with her weapon in her hands. His eyes squint at her, and suddenly she lets out a blood-curdling scream, dropping to the ground, releasing her weapon as well.

"What are you doing to her?" I scream, approaching Ikkashi with my sword. "Stop it!"

"Well, it seems this young girl is an Angel," Ikkashi mumbles, still keeping his focus on Kurenai. "And not only that, but . . . she can read the future. It would be lovely to have her as an experiment for . . . _future_ reference."

I'm about to raise my sword, but I'm stopped when I see Kronoa leap up onto the castle roof, his own, deformed sword in hand. But no sign of Saru or Ikkashi – that can't be a good sign.

"Kronoa, over here!" Ikkashi orders the boy.

"Ikkashi, there are too many people!" the boy whines. "I don't like it when there are so many people!"

Dex stares wide-eyed at the boy, his body becoming stiff. He knows that the reason this boy here is partially – well, mostly – his fault.

"Well, it's not seven-to-one now, is it?" Ikkashi says, his eyes focused hard on us. He releases his grip on Kurenai's mind. She slumps to the ground, her hands shaking as they hold cradle her head.

"Actually, now that Kronoa's here, it's more of a four-to-seven count," Ikkashi observes. "Seeing as he is a mixture of the three of you – Link, Dex, and great Deity."

I glare at him and bring up my sword again to strike him, but Kronoa suddenly leaps in front of me and holds the sword back with his own blade.

"Go AWAY!" he screams, his voice so high-pitched and loud that it pushes us back a few feet.

"It's no good . . ." I mutter to the rest of my friends. "I've fought him countless times before, but he's always stronger every time we meet."

"Then shouldn't we kill him now?" Dex asks. "If we don't, he'll just be stronger next time."

"I don't want to do this today!" Kronoa suddenly shouts. His sword turns into a whip again, but instead of aiming it at us, he whips it around himself, the whip closing around his waist like some kind of belt. Then he forcefully grabs Ikkashi's hand, and before we can step in to stop him, the two Reapers disappear in a shadow portal – the same way Yashiro teleports with hers.

"Dammit, they got away . . . !" I growl, gripping my sword even tighter in anger.

When I turn back to face my companions, I see that they're all pretty exhausted, and then the wave of fatigue hits me too. I watch as Matsuda soothes Kurenai and her aching head, and as Uzuki turns back to normal, covering over her eyes until she can whip out another pair of sunglasses to put over them. Now she just looks like old, normal Uzuki, a Reaper from the Time Keepers. Even her scar has returned to its normal size.

"Let's not worry about him for now, Link," the Deity says. "We accomplished our main objective – we stopped the moon."

"Yeah . . . finally . . ." I let out a long yawn.

"You must be tired," the Deity chuckles. "Would you mind if Dex and I came with you to the Dark Realm? I'm sure we could be of some assistance."

"Yeah, I think it would be safe if we returned to the Dark Realm before people start getting suspicious," I snicker.

Uzuki lets out a groan. "Aww, if we got it donet then that means that Makoto will be human again . . . and here I thought he'd be hanging around for a while . . ."

I smile deviously at Uzuki. "Actually, you have your _own_ matter to attend to. When we get back to the house, you're explaining _everything _to me."

* * *

So much for confronting Uzuki.

When we made it back to the house, I ended up collapsing onto my bed and falling asleep the moment my head it the pillow.

When I wake up, I see the Terminian clock moving on my wall, and I let out a satisfied sigh.

It's. Thursday.

I happily jump out of bed and change into my nightclothes – a t-shirt with a pair of shorts – and then proceed to the kitchen, skipping the entire way.

"Hello, my friends!" I greet them with possibly the biggest smile I've given anybody. "Good morning to you all!"

I skip merrily into the kitchen and start to make myself a cup of coffee. I don't even care how bad my coffee-making skills are, nothing could ruin today. I take a sip from the disgusting coffee and still swallow it anyway before heading into the dining room.

"Come on, put on some smiley faces!" I cheer, pulling the sides of Yashiro's face into a wide smile.

"Okay, I'm going to kill him," she growls as I pull on her cheeks.

"Link, could you, um, calm down?" Uzuki asks me.

I sigh and sit down at the kitchen table with the rest of my friends, taking a long sip from my tasteless coffee.

"Boy, you sure are in a cheery mood," Yashiro mumbles, rubbing her cheeks from where I grabbed them.

"Well, it's kind of been Wednesday over and over for him for the past week," Uzuki laughs. "Anybody would be happy for a new day after something like that."

"Are Dex and the Deity still here?" I ask, looking around for my two halves.

"They both went out to survey the area," Mitsuhiro tells me.

"Oh. And Matsuda? Where's he?"

"He's in Shuto's room," Uzuki sighs. "He's dealing with a bit of internal strife right now – he's trying to get over the emotional trauma of his first kill."

I stare wide-eyed at Uzuki. "He killed someone?" I gasp. Normally, this wouldn't shock me as we've killed lots of people, but for Matsuda . . . it must be all new for him. "Who . . . ?"

"Grimmex."

Now I'm _really_ shocked. Matsuda, a young Angel who hasn't even discovered his full Angel powers, kill Grimmex, a higher-ranked member of the Reaper Society?

"Are you sure about that?" I ask suspiciously.

"I saw it with my own eyes," Uzuki replies. "Kurenai can vouch for him too – he launched a spear right through the Reaper's chest. I did the final blow with a light kunai, of course, but if it weren't for him, Kon and I would probably be dead."

"That's . . . that's amazing."

"Just don't talk about it like that to him, okay? He's still having a hard time; the shock and excitement of it all is finally sinking in, and it's causing him to break down. We just have to give him time to mentally heal. Besides all that, Grimmex of the Society is now dead, leaving Jun with only one member of his squad – and that member happens to be Ichiru, who's on our side."

"We have more good news along with that as well," Mitsuhiro cuts in. "We called Zelda earlier on the C.T. crystal you gave her – she has no memory of the destruction of Hyrule or her death. The only thing she knows is that the moon nearly destroyed Hyrule before you stepped in and stopped it. She was a little angry that you didn't let her fight, of course," he chuckles.

"Wait, what about Hyrule Castle?" I ask worriedly. "What kind of condition is it in?"

"The Deity handled that," Uzuki answers. "Just this morning he went down to Hyrule and fixed the castle right up. The people were quite thankful."

"And Makoto?"

"Makoto is alive with everybody else. No Reaper form anymore."

I let out a sigh of relief and slump into the backside of my chair.

"Thank goodness . . ." I yawn. "I'm so glad that mission is over . . ."

"You also rid the world of Majora's evil power," Yashiro adds. "That's something to be proud of as well."

"No, I have the Deity to thank for that," I yawn. "If it weren't for him, we may not have won. Sure, he nearly died, but Majora came . . . and he saved him."

Yashiro stares at me. "Whoa, whoa, wait a minute . . . how could Majora save him if he hated him and tried to kill him?"

"It's a . . . long story," I mutter. "Technically speaking, the real Majora and the Deity used to be friends from a long, long time ago, before time even started to move."

"That makes even _less_ sense!"

* * *

Eventually, Dex and the Deity make it back to the house, accompanied by both Ichiru and Saru of the Society.

"We found these two in the forest around the side fields," the Deity says as he guides them into the house.

"Looks like they want to make an official truce with us," Dex adds.

I look at the two Reapers, the red-haired Saru and the tall, blond-haired Ichiru, who's walking around with a cane, despite the fact that his back looks fine.

"Hey, you two," I greet them.

"Still in your pj's?" Saru laughs.

"Won't the Society know that you're gone?" I ask them, ignoring Saru's joke.

"Nah, can't really go back there now that Ikkashi knows we're traitors," Saru sighs. "We are now wanted criminals."

_This house of ours is really starting to become a place for refugees,_ I think to myself before replying, "I'm sorry for dragging you guys into all of this."

"Please, you didn't drag us into this," Ichiru laughs, bringing up his cane to bat me over top the head. "We're joining you because we want to – besides, I'm sick of being in a place where Ikkashi's experiments are constantly roaming around. You're lucky you haven't run into Alice yet – if it weren't for Kronoa being Ikkashi's new favorite toy, she would have gotten to you a long time ago."

I don't want to ask. I'm too tired. I'm too happy. I just want to enjoy today as much as possible before something else weird happens.

"Hey, Link, what's going on with your Time Gate?"

_Wow, a whole three seconds. That's almost a new record. _

I head over to Mitsuhiro, who's looking at my Time Gate where it's still sitting on the glass coffee table in the living room, but for some reason it's glowing with a strange black aura. I've never seen it do that before.

Before I go to examine it, I head to my room and change into a fresh tunic.

New mission, here I come.


	29. Battle on the Train

Well, I was hoping to get this chapter up earlier but I ended up working on other things instead and never got around to finishing this :/ This is actually one of the chapters I thought of and wrote like a year ago, so I just polished it up and fixed a few things and finished the parts that weren't finished, and it was pretty much all finished :D Here's Chapter 29 of Time Gate: The Adult Chapters, please R&R, and enjoy :)

- Uzuki Cheverie

**Time Gate: The Adult Chapters**

**Chapter 29: Battle on the Train**

"What do you think is happening?"

"I don't know, do I look like I specialize in shit like this?"

"I don't think it would be safe to write in it while it's like this, huh?"

Uzuki, Shuto, Mitsuhiro, Yashiro, Dex, the Deity, and I stare down at the black diary between us, still glowing with the mysterious black aura. Matsuda, Kurenai and Kon try to wedge in to see as well, but there's just so many of us crowded around it that it's hard for them to get in. I scoot aside a little for them, but it's not going to do them much good anyway.

"Any ideas?" I ask my friends.

"Nope," Yashiro says.

"Sorry," Uzuki replies.

"Even I don't know what's going on," Saru sighs, scratching his head. "And Ikkashi is _always_ going on about the Time Gate and stuff."

I sigh and lean back at my chair, trying to think of a solution to all of this.

_Maybe . . . maybe it'll just wear off,_ I think hopefully to myself. _Maybe it'll stop after a while and nothing will happen . . . _

The Deity stares at the Time Gate, and then looks to me.

"I may have a theory," he begins. "I've heard that the Time Gate's powers can cause a rift in the spirit world surrounding us, due to its ability to change the time stream. According to legend, when this rift appears, it will appear in the place where the owner received the Time Gate."

"Well, that would be Clock Town," I tell him. "But what about this rift? Is it dangerous?"

"The legend says that the rift can create an entire new world."

I stare at the Time Gate and then I get up from my chair.

"I guess I shouldn't argue," I mutter. "After all, legends so far have proven to be real, so I guess this one is probably true too. Besides, it's the only lead we have right now."

"We'll have to head for Termina then," Mitsuhiro says.

_Clock Town . . . _I think worriedly to myself. _Byrne . . . he'll probably be there . . . _

"Alright then, we have to get to Clock Town, in Termina," I tell them. "We can just take shadow portals there-"

"Um, that may not be the best idea, Link," Saru interrupts.

"Huh? Why?"

"Well, the only reason Ichiru and I walked here is because when he tried to open a shadow portal – I can't open shadow portals because I'm part Twili – the whole connection between our spot and the spot we were going to – your house – was completely messed up."

Ichiru nods before pulling a hidden fan out from his cane, waving it in front of his face. "Indeed, it's almost as if the mid-world between point 'A' and point 'B' has been closed down. I don't know how it's happened, but it's currently unsafe to use any form of teleportation as a mode of transportation."

"So that means even Yashiro can't teleport," Shuto mutters.

"Want me to test it?" Yashiro offers.

"No, better not," Shuto warns. "If what they're saying is true, then something could go wrong while you're teleporting, and we may not get you back. It's better to be safe than sorry when it comes to something like this."

"Then what should we do?" Mitsuhiro asks. "You can't exactly walk a few blocks to get to Termina."

"There's also the problem with it being . . . below our dimensional plane," the Deity adds.

We stare at him with confused looks in our eyes.

"Dimensional . . . plane . . . ?" Saru mutters.

"Ah . . . it's something like the Dark Realm – Termina resides on a different spiritual level than Hyrule." He faces me. "Link, when you first arrived there, you noticed how there were a lot of people in the town that resembled your former companions in Hyrule, correct?"

I nod. "Yeah, Anju at the Stock Pot Inn and Ingo from the travelling entertainment troupe. There was even a double of Malon . . . It made no sense."

"That is because Termina is a cursed land that does not live in harmony with Hyrule," the Deity explains. "Think of it as a scale – in the center is the Hyrule kingdom; next to it is the Dark Realm; above it is the Sacred Realm; and below it is Termina."

"Um . . . I still don't get how there would be doubles of everybody, but I guess I get it," I mutter, scratching my head.

"If it's on another plane then, how are we going to get to it?" Uzuki asks. "I mean, I got there the first time using shadow portals, when I delivered the Time Gate to Link, but we can't exactly use that now."

"There is _one_ way . . ." I begin. "When I first came to Termina, I was in the woods – that was when the Skull Kid stole Epona – and I ended up in one area where I fell through a deep hole. Maybe when I fell through the hole, I entered Termina?"

"That could be one way," the Deity agrees.

"But then again, it could have been when I entered the Clock Town clock tower for the first time. I entered it through the caverns, and I could never go back the way I came afterwards. Maybe that's the way . . ."

". . . Either way, I had to go down the hole to make it to the clock tower, so it doesn't matter which is the entrance – either way, I know I entered Termina through one of those paths."

The Deity stood to speak. "There's a new train system in Hyrule now. The train can take us to a town that's closest to the spot that Link has spoken of, and then we can follow the trail Link followed when he was a child to make it to the entrance to Termina."

"Yeah, I've seen that train system," Saru says. "Pretty simple now, and not a lot of stops, but the train is pretty fast."

"Then we can do exactly what the Deity said," Shuto agrees. "We can take the train system to a stop that's nearest to the entrance."

"Wait a minute," I stop them. "Sure, that's great and all, but I discovered the entrance by _accident_. I doubt I'll be able to find it again. I mean, it was in the middle of a forest – a forest that wasn't even marked on my map."

"Well, we can figure that out when we get there," Yashiro grumbles. "Right now, we should try our best to catch the next train out of Hyrule."

Matsuda suddenly steps forward, one of his spears in hand.

"Um . . . K-Kurenai and I . . . we'd like to come with you . . ." he whispers nervously.

"We're tired of watching you all fight for us," Kurenai cuts in for her brother. "We want to help _you_ for once – we owe you that much for saving our lives."

I look at Matsuda first with a concerned glance. "It'll be dangerous. And we may end up in a few battles."

"I . . . I got over what happened in Castle Town," Matsuda sighs. "I'm ready to fight again."

"Are you sure?"

"Y-Yes, I'm sure."

I smile at them both, and then stand from my seat at the kitchen table.

"Then everybody, grab what you can. It's going to be a long journey and we don't know what will happen, so make sure you're prepared." I turn my attention to the two Reapers who used to be members of the Society. "Saru, Ichiru . . . I can bet that you two are coming as well?"

"Of course, we wouldn't miss it!" Saru cheered with a wide grin.

"Despite us being from the Society, we are loyal to you now, Link," Ichiru says, bowing over his cane.

I observe the twelve people that are gathered in the kitchen – Uzuki, Mitsuhiro, Shuto, Yashiro, Kon, Matsuda, Kurenai, Miu, Saru, Ichiru, Dex, and the Deity – and ready to fight with me.

I grab my Time Gate from the table, along with my bag and my sword.

"Then, to Hyrule Castle Town."

* * *

When we make it to the city – travelling by the Mirror of Twilight, which still seems to work despite the shadow portals being rendered useless – we start to head for the train station on the east side of town. Of course, the Reapers are all in their human forms.

As we push our way through the crowds, I spot Zelda hanging around the school area with Makoto and Higashizawa.

"Hey there, Zel," I greet her. I give a greeting nod to Makoto and Higashizawa as well. "Makoto. Higashizawa."

"Hmm," Makoto mumbles as he sticks a cigarette between his lips and lights it.

"Greetings, Link," Higashizawa says. "And to the rest of your companions as well. Where are you travelling to today?"

"We're actually taking the train to Termina," I tell them. ". . . Sorta. We're actually just getting off at a town closest to the entrance to Termina and then walking the rest of the way by foot."

"You have a pretty big group there," Zelda says, observing us. "Big mission? You even have Society Reapers with you."

"These two are on our side," I explain. "Turns out they don't agree with the Society's way of thinking either."

"Hey, Saru," Makoto greets the red-haired Reaper after taking a puff from his cigarette.

"Wait, you two know each other?" I ask.

"Yeah, we go way back," he mutters back. "He used to do undercover work at the high school before Uzuki died."

"That's how I know him too," Uzuki agrees with the Assassin's words.

"We are kind of on a big mission, though," I continue. "We have to get to Clock Town to find out why my Time Gate is acting so funny."

"Mind if I accompany you, then?" Zelda asks.

_Wait . . . what?_

"You heard me," Zelda sneers. "Take me with you. I'd like to see this Termina place that you're always talking about."

"I don't know . . ."

Zelda walks up to me so that she's only a few mere inches away from my face.

"Come on, what's one more?" she asks me. "Another person coming along shouldn't hurt."

I glance back at my friends.

"Should we?" I ask them.

They all shrug their shoulders and give blank looks.

"Doesn't really matter?" Uzuki asks. "It's not like she'll do anything suspicious – she's kind of on our side too."

"I agree," Yashiro adds.

Shuto taps Yashiro's shoulder. "What did he say?"

"Good, then it's settled," Zelda says with a smile, placing her hands on her hips.

"Wait, it's just you coming, right?" I ask suspiciously.

"What, afraid I'll bite?" Makoto snickers, smiling wide to reveal his teeth.

"Uh . . . no, that's fine," I shudder.

"I've got better things to do than tag along with you," Makoto sighs, making a shooing motion with his hand. "Bring back some lovely photos."

* * *

The moment it pulls into the station, the ten of us board the large train, the boardwalk bustling with people of all kinds as they walk on all sides of us. We had checked the board earlier that had all the times and destinations marked on it – according to the timetable, the closest spot to the forest that I can only vaguely remember is a small village that apparently has a population of fifteen. Hmm.

We take our seats on the train. Uzuki and Yashiro sit together near the back, Mitsuhiro and Shuto sit together in front of them, and Kurenai, Matsuda, and doll-form Kon sit across from Uzuki and Yashiro. Unfortunately for me, this leaves me stuck sitting with Zelda. I guess I wouldn't completely mind it . . . if she wasn't out to get me.

As for Miu, because she's considered a pet, the train workers had to put her in a separate train car with the rest of the pets that the city folk have brought along. Although, it takes me a few attempts to actually convince the worker that she is indeed a cat – not a monster, not an experiment-gone-wrong, and _not _a rare type of animal that's being smuggled out of the kingdom. Of course, shaking Kon off her was no easy feat either, but we eventually manage to get the message through to him that she'll be alright with the other animals in the other train car. I just hope that the other animals in that car aren't too terrified of her.

As other people start to board the train and seat themselves, I pull out my pocket-sized sudoku book and open it to a new puzzle. It's hard to find new puzzles in this thing these days; I've almost got the book filled, and the puzzles that aren't finished have at least been started at one time or another.

Zelda gives me a look of disapproval. "There's no _way_ that's the same sudoku book I gave you five years ago," she sneers.

I shrug my shoulders. "I've been too busy to actually finish it."

"Wow. I'm surprised you didn't lose it or throw it out yet."

"I take decent care of my things, thank you."

Zelda rolls her eyes before taking out a book from her bag to read.

Soon, the train whistle goes off, and then the train lurches forward, picking up speed as it rides along the tracks. I start to work on my sudoku puzzle, but my eyes soon begin to stray. I look at Uzuki – she's alternating between drawing, playing cat's cradle with some string, and chatting with Mitsuhiro. Yashiro is reading a book. And Shuto is trying to start a conversation with Yashiro, but failing miserably. Kurenai and Matsuda must be playing a game, because they're taking turns yelling out random words. Kon looks to be asleep already.

"Bell," Kurenai says.

"Lime," Matsuda replies.

"Eel," says Kurenai.

"Lemon," Matsuda exclaims.

"Novel."

"Lock."

"Keel."

Matsuda gives Kurenai a look of disgust. "Wait a minute, that's foul play! You're ending all of your words with 'L'!"

"It's called strategy, little bro'," Kurenai sighs. "Let's see how many words you know that begin with 'L'."

Besides the two Angels' bickering, the train ride is decently quiet. Mitsuhiro and Uzuki are chatting away, to the point that it probably would have been a better idea if those two had just sat next to each other. Yashiro's staring out the window, but she's probably listening to Uzuki and Mitsuhiro talk, because every so often, she smiles, frowns, or rolls her eyes.

I glance at Zelda. The book she's reading looks a little strange. There are diagrams and notes written everywhere, so it looks more like a journal than a novel. When she sees that I'm looking at her book, she slams it shut and sticks it underneath her leg so that she's sitting on top of it. Then she gives me a quick glance of discontentment before staring straight ahead at the seat in front of us. Talk about being antisocial.

The next half hour goes by at a steady pace. Zelda continues to stay silent, and Mitsuhiro and Uzuki have sparked a debate about some book. So far, it sounds like Uzuki's winning, but it's hard to tell . . .

"I hear a train."

I turn my gaze to Zelda, who's still staring at the seat ahead of her.

"Excuse me?" I ask.

"I said I hear a train."

"Um . . . okay, but if you haven't noticed, we do happen to be _riding _one."

The look she shoots at me tells me she's not satisfied with my response. "What kind of idiot do you take me for?" she snaps. "I hear _another _train, you jackass. Can't you hear it?"

Well, I was just being sarcastic earlier, but now that I know she's being serious, I stop to listen. It's hard to tell what she's hearing though because the train is so loud and everyone here is talking.

"I can't hear it. It's too loud in here," I reply.

"You're not a very good aura-reader, are you?" Zelda asks me with a questionable look.

"What does that have to do with-?"

"Look." Zelda points at Uzuki, who has suddenly become completely silent with one of her blank looks on her face, the pupils in her eyes dilated into empty circles.

"Uzuki hears it too," Zelda says. "And so do I." Then I notice her eyes – they're just like Uzuki's, with the circle-shaped pupils.

"Aura-reading isn't just about reading energy levels," Zelda starts.

And it _begins_.

"You also need to be able to shut off the world around you."

I shrug my shoulders. I really just want to ignore her right now; if it wasn't for Uzuki also hearing whatever it is that's making the noise, I swear I would shut off the world around me easily, including Zelda's constant nagging.

"So I'm not an aura-reader. Sue me," I grumble.

But she continues anyway. "This is the only railway that runs from Hyrule to Termina, and the only transportation train that rides these tracks to boot. So why am I hearing another train?"

"I dunno. You're finally going crazy?"

I can tell she's trying to hold back the urge to slap me. "It _means_ that there's another train on these tracks when there shouldn't be! Do I have to spell it out for you?" Zelda bolts up from her seat and rushes to the back of the train car.

I get up and follow her, and I'm led to the back of the train, where Zelda is standing outside, tying her hair back. When I step outside into the cool air, I can eventually hear what Zelda is talking about. There is a sound of moving wheels and clacking metal, but it's not in the same rhythm as the train we're riding. Then, over the horizon, we soon see the silhouette of another vehicle on the tracks, and a loud train whistle bursts from its form.

I start to feel my heart rise into my throat from the sound of the rather demonic train whistle.

"Zelda . . . !" I start in a panicked growl.

"I told you," Zelda says in an I-told-you-so kind of tone as she casually crosses her arms and tilts her head to the side, letting out a calm sigh. "So what are you going to do now, Mr. Hero? That train doesn't seem very friendly . . . and I doubt its riders are any nicer."

I ignore her smart remark and run back inside the train, sprinting back to our car where the rest of the group is. Uzuki is already on her feet, looking out the window to see what's chasing after us.

"What is it?" Uzuki snaps at me, her eyes firm as she keeps her head poked out the window, her brown, curly human hair whipping past her face from the force of the wind going by.

"There's another train on the tracks," I reply in a low tone so that the people around me don't overhear; I don't need them panicking. "I don't think it's very friendly either."

Uzuki turns around and heads over to Mitsuhiro and Shuto. She leans down low and whispers something to them. They immediately jump to their feet, and then inform Yashiro of the situation as well. I also get Kurenai, Matsuda, and Kon up. They casually get up to their seats as not to worry the people around them, and then Uzuki leads us to the cart where the animals are packed in. Miu is curled up in her kennel, sleeping soundly.

"What should we do?" Yashiro whispers.

"If that train gets any closer to us, we're going to have a problem on our hands," Mitsuhiro mutters. "Do you think it's the Society?"

"Where the hell would they get a train?" Shuto hisses.

"It's the Society," I remind him with a shrug of my shoulders. "They're capable of anything at this point."

"We have to come up with some kind of plan," Matsuda says.

Kon nods. "Maybe we can take it down."

Zelda comes into the room from the other train car. "That won't be so easy," she growls. "The train is pretty close enough now, and I've seen what it's made of. It's a pretty durable train, and really, _really_ big."

"But we can't just let that thing ram into us," Yashiro argued. "We can at least find some way to slow it down."

"Maybe explosives?" Uzuki suggests. "I know that it seems silly, but I brought small bombs along with me, just in case we needed them. We can throw them at the tracks behind us."

"Would destroying the tracks stop it?" Matsuda says. "I mean, it's a train, right? It can't go anywhere without the tracks."

"The people of Hyrule would be pretty pissed," I object. "Blowing up the track seems like a bad idea."

"I think that's our only good plan," Mitsuhiro sighs. "After all, if we let it catch us, not only will we be in danger, but also the people on this train."

I sigh, and rub my forehead. Stress, oh how I love the stress.

"Alright, alright, does anyone have any suggestions?" I ask the group.

"We could launch bombs at it to slow it down," Uzuki repeats. "Even if it doesn't destroy the tracks, it will at least disorient the drivers a little, and it might damage the wheels."

"Any other ideas?"

"Shouldn't we find out who's in charge of this?" Mitsuhiro suggest. "One of us could infiltrate the train and try to stop it from the inside. I mean, it has to be running off something – we could cut off its energy supply."

"That's a good idea," I agree. "But don't forget, you guys are in your human forms – you won't be as strong against these guys without your Reaper abilities."

"That's no problem at all, Link," Uzuki snickers. "How about this? Matsuda and Kurenai, you two can go outside of the train and launch my explosives at the train. Meanwhile, Mitsuhiro, you, and I can infiltrate the train."

"What do you want me to do?" Shuto asks.

I stare at him, and scratch my head. "Well . . . you won't be able to take orders very well on account of your ears."

". . . What?"

"Case in point." I take Uzuki's notepad and write a note for Shuto, and then hand it to him.

_Sorry Shuto, but we won't be able to communicate with you in battle with your hearing problem. How about you stay back here and try to keep the passengers and the drivers from noticing what's going on? We don't want to start a panic, and you're good at keeping people calm. _

Shuto reads the note, and then sighs, nodding afterwards.

"Fine, I'll stay behind . . ." he mumbles.

"Zelda, can you overlook everything while I'm gone? Make sure everything goes smoothly? You can do this with Yashiro," I say to Zelda.

"Sure thing, Link," she replies with a nod.

I draw a kunai from my holster. "Mitsuhiro, Uzuki, let's go."

* * *

I open the back door of the train and stare at the machine that's quickly getting closer to us. I can hear the wheels ratting against the tracks, and I can feel the wind blowing in my face from the speed at which we're travelling. The train is black and huge and demonic, and looks really industrial. Smoke is billowing out from the metal pipes that are crooked and wide, and the oversized wheels are spinning wildly along the tracks – it almost shouldn't be able to fit on the tracks.

"It looks to me like it's some kind of armoured train," Uzuki says as she peers at the machine. "They aren't built for transporting passengers, but rather for participating in battles.

"Then they came prepared," Mitsuhiro mutters. "They may have been coming after us specifically – somehow they knew we were taking the train transit system."

"How are we supposed to get over there?" I ask curiously. "I mean, you two can't fly in your human forms, and we can't exactly jump off the train while it's still moving."

"Leave that to me," Mitsuhiro says with a grin. He stretches his right arm out, and metal begins to grow across his skin, the surface of the material white and sheen. It goes all the way to his hand, until it forms claws with a sort of clock on the back of his hand. Mitsuhiro's Time Distorter. It's one of the powers he still has in his human form.

"I can slow down time so that it won't be so hard for us to run over to the train," he begins to explain. "We should make our way to the back of the train and work our way to the front – take out all their men in other cars so that it's not hard for us to take over the engine room when we get there."

"Sounds like a good plan to me," I say.

Mitsuhiro leans down onto one knee and places the palm of his right hand that's equipped with the Time Distorter to the ground. A loud ringing sound comes out from the machine, and the clock that was ticking on the metal suddenly slows, letting out a loud pinging sound the moment the second hand slows its movements as well.

We all look up at the train and see that it's now travelling slower, much slower than before. The sounds around us have slowed as well. However, we are still at our regular time speed.

The three of us quickly jump off the train that's moving slower by over half its original speed limit. We land gently on the ground, our bodies jerking just slightly from the landing from a moving object, and then we begin running as fast as we can for the train behind us. Mitsuhiro and I take the right side, and Uzuki takes the left, and eventually we meet up with each other at the back of the train. It's not even a train car – it's some kind of table that's holding various wooden crates and iron boxes.

We climb up onto the boxes until we've reached the top of them. When we're up there and secure, Mitsuhiro returns time to its normal flow. Everything suddenly speeds up again, the wind whipping hard into my body and nearly knocking me off the crates. I catch my balance and hunch down to my knees; I can't stand any higher, otherwise I really will fall off, and . . . well, I just don't want to think about that.

All three of us hunched low to the ground, we make our way across the boxes until we make it to the next train car.

"I'm going in," Uzuki says. She grabs onto the ladder that's going down the side of the train and swings herself through the window, shattering it and landing inside.

"Alright, then I guess you and I will go on ahead to the next car," I tell Mitsuhiro, and we begin to progress further. I can hear yelling and the sound of gunfire – we both turn around to see two train workers, definitely Reapers, launched out the car windows and onto the fast-moving ground below.

I smile. "Looks like Uzuki took care of it."

**An Interlude**

Uzuki twirls her pocketknife back into its black holster and stuffs it into her back pocket.

"Well, that was easier than I thought," she sighs. She begins to look around in the train car – it's the room where the fuel is deposited to move the train forward.

_If I can stop this somehow, then . . . _

Uzuki examines the room, and then finds an axe strapped to the far wall. Then she stares at the chain that's connecting the car to the main train car ahead.

_Hmm . . ._

Tightly wrapping her fingers around the wooden handle of the axe, Uzuki pulls it free from the wall, and drags it to the end of the train car, where the chain is hooked from its bottomside to the train car ahead.

Uzuki lifts the axe high into the air and brings it down onto the metal chain. It clangs against it, but the chain only wriggles against the strike. She brings it up again and again, striking it repeatedly, the metal of the axe ringing against the surface of the tough chains.

Uzuki takes in a deep breath and then heaves the axe against the chains again. In a split second, the chains snap, and the train car rears back, falling behind the other train car as it comes to a slow stop.

Uzuki steps out of the car and holds the axe in her hands much like her scythe, twirling it around.

_Huh. Axes. Not a bad idea._

* * *

Matsuda lifts up another grenade, pulls the loop, and throws it far towards the train. It explodes when it hits the front surface of the machine, leaving a stain of black dirt and metal against its surface.

"This thing just doesn't stop!" Matsuda growls.

Kurenai lifts up a bomb and throws it far to the train. It hits the train just a few feet away from where Matsuda threw his bomb.

Kurenai stops retrieving bombs when she hears something odd coming from the train. She peers at it, and watches as huge guns unfold from the sides of it.

"Oh my g – Matsuda!" Kurenai screams.

Matsuda sees the guns as well. "Oh, great! Come on, we gotta get down from here and warn everyone else who's on the train! We can't let that thing shoot us!"

Kurenai and Matsuda spin around, running back for the ladder, when suddenly a grenade comes flying from one of the guns on the train, blowing up right behind Matsuda and blow him off the side of the train.

"Matsuda!" Kurenai shrieks, and reaches out to grab Matsuda's hand before he completely flies away. She uses both her hands to grip his wrist tightly, and pulls him back up onto the roof of the train.

"Are you okay?" she gasps.

"Yeah . . . I'm fine," he sighs. "But that was too close. We have to get off the roof _now_."

The two Angel siblings make their way to the ladder and climb back down to the main level of the train. The first person they find is Yashiro, who's casually watching as the train gets closer with its heavy machinery.

"Do you _see _those things?" Matsuda yells at the Reaper.

"Yep . . . I see em'," Yashiro grumbles. "These guys are definitely taking their shit seriously."

"What do we do?" Kurenai asks. "If they shoot at us, the train will go down for sure!"

Yashiro stands back from the window and stares at the ceiling, thinking.

"I have an idea . . . but Goddess Din knows if it'll work," she mumbles.

"What?" Matsuda asks hastily. "What's the idea?"

Yashiro rolls her sleeves up. "I'll stop it."

Without saying anything else, Yashiro walks away from the siblings.

Zelda sees Yashiro walking to the back of the train.

"Hey, where the hell are you going?" she snaps. "We have to make sure everything runs smoothly on this train!" She runs in close to Yashiro to whisper, "We don't want people panicking."

"You and Kurenai and Matsuda can handle that," Yashiro says, turning to face the princess. "It shouldn't be too hard for the three of you – plus you have Kon. I have an idea, and I'm pretty sure it'll work. If it does, it'll stop the train from chasing us."

"And if it doesn't?" Matsuda asks worriedly.

Yashiro shrugs her shoulders, and then walks away again, opening the backdoor of the train and stepping outside onto the balcony.

**Chapter 29 (continued)**

Mitsuhiro and I sneak around the corner, kunais ready in our hands.

I nod to Mitsuhiro, and he nods back. I twirl my kunai around my finger, readying it, and then I sneak out into the main room of the train car, where three Reapers are facing away from us, one handling some strange-looking controls and the other two watching the situation through the small window.

Mitsuhiro follows close behind me with his kunai in hand as well. He winks at me, and then starts to head for the Reaper who's handling the control system.

He's about to bring the knife up to the man's back, when suddenly a loud scream erupts from his chest, shadows exploding out from under his skin. Mitsuhiro screams loudly from the pain and the shock of watching the shadows seep out of him.

Before I can strike the Reapers ahead of me, their bodies begin to tremble as well, and they release their own screams.

_What the hell is going on? _

I watch in horror as Mitsuhiro is transformed into his Kyodai no Akuma form, and the Reaper soldiers turn into similar creatures, with red eyes, black tentacles, and vine markings crawling along their skin.

"Mitsuhiro!" I cry out as I watch him turn into the one creature I thought we had destroyed years ago.

Mitsuhiro stands up straight and then slightly falls back, the sound of his back snapping. It's gruesome, horrifying, and nostalgic – I had hoped that I never had to see this creature again.

But why are the soldiers turning into the Kyodai no Akuma too?

I swallow my fear and turn away from Mitsuhiro, focusing on the Reaper soldiers. I take my kunai and slice it through their throats, causing them to crumple to the ground in a heap. The shadows burst from their body, and somehow merge into Mitsuhiro's body, causing him to go even crazier.

"Mitsuhiro, snap out of it!" I grunt as I tackle him to the floor, trying to keep him restrained. "You're stronger than that monster, remember? Don't let him get to you!"

Mitsuhiro writhes and screams from underneath me.

"Snap out of it!" I yell again. I bring my left hand up and smack it hard into his chest, my Triforce glowing brightly. A light grows from my palm and envelopes the both of us. When the light has gone, the shadows have subsided, and Mitsuhiro looks like he's back to normal.

I stand up from over top him – he seems unconscious, but he'll probably come to soon – and I turn my attention to the controls for this thing. I look around, but there doesn't seem to be any way to shut it off. Even the train car that had been attached to it from behind – which I'm guessing Uzuki cut off herself – hasn't helped it stop. It's slowed down a little and put a bit of distance between this train and our train, but it still doesn't show any signs of stopping completely. They must have built it so that it wouldn't stop for anything. Whatever it was they were trying to accomplish, they were dead serious in accomplishing it.

_Come on, think! Think!_

**An Interlude**

"It hasn't stopped yet," Yashiro observes as she stares at the train that's fallen a bit behind but is still moving rapidly along the tracks. "Something must be wrong on their side."

"Yashiro, what are you doing?" Matsuda asks as Yashiro stares down at the gravel and the tracks moving quickly below her.

Yashiro pulls out her C.T. crystal and calls Mitsuhiro. When he answers, she says, "Mitsuhiro, I have an idea to stop the train, but I need you to stop time again."

"What are you going to do?" Mitsuhiro asks curiously.

"It's a little . . . hard to explain, and personally, I don't think you'll like it, but if you can't stop the train manually, then I have no other choice."

"Well, the train mechanism is set here so that it can run on its own, without coal," Mitsuhiro explains. "I think they added the coal cart just to fool us."

"And I'm guessing it worked?" Yashiro snickers.

"Link and I don't know how to run the technology in here," Mitsuhiro sighs. "But maybe your plan will work. When are you going to do it?"

"Any second now, when you go and stop time for me. Oh, and I suggest you back up a little."

Suddenly, the world around Yashiro stops, including both trains.

"I've got it, Yashiro, but you have to hurry," Mitsuhiro says to her over through the crystal's image. "I'm further away from you so it's hard to keep you active when I've stopped time."

"Gotcha," Yashiro says before hanging up the crystal. She quickly jumps down onto the now-non-moving tracks, and stands there firmly, a good two-hundred feet from the train behind them.

_I sure hope this works_, she thinks to herself. _Life sucks not being in my Reaper form._

_That's what I'm here for_, the voice in her head laughs. _Come on, we can do it. _

All at once, time starts again, and the train begins to head in her direction quickly and violently. Yashiro grits her teeth and curls her fist, and then just as the train nears her, she brings her right shoulder up and blasts it into the front of the train. The entire front side of the vehicle goes in like a squashed tin can, and follows suite with the rest of the body of the train, all of it crumpling like an accordion, Yashiro's body becoming lost inside the train's metal heap as it tries to force itself past her.

**Chapter 29 (continued)**

I'm standing with Mitsuhiro one second, wondering what Yashiro's plan could possibly be, when the train suddenly stops all at once, launching me and Mitsuhiro forward into the control panels. My head hits one of the computer desks hard, and then I land on the floor.

Mitsuhiro, having also landed on a control panel, climbs away from the front of the train as its pushed inwards, metal flying from outside and sparks flying from the wheels as they're stopped in place.

Mitsuhiro pulls me away from the front of the train, all the way to the back of the train as far as we can go. Thankfully, the mess of twisted metal and shattered computer doesn't reach us.

"What the hell was that?" I scream, my head still pounding from where I hit the control panel.

Mitsuhiro has a grim look in his eyes.

". . . Yashiro . . ." he whispers.

". . . No way," I growl back. "She's not that stupid, Mitsuhiro – she wouldn't try to use herself to stop that train when she's in her human form."

I look around myself, the room tiny and cramped now that it's been squished like it was stepped on. One of the windows hasn't been crushed, so I make my way over to it and punch out the glass with my gloved hand.

"Come on, there's only one way to find out if Yashiro did it or not," I tell Mitsuhiro before slinking my way through the window. Mitsuhiro follows me, and the two of us check ourselves over to make sure we didn't get injured from the sudden attack. Besides my minor headache, I feel fine.

But the train obviously didn't survive.

What used to be a demonic hunk of sheen metal that ran on spiked wheels and had the worst train whistle I've ever heard is now one big squashed tin can. Everything's been pushed into itself, and there's metal and glass lying all over the place from where it probably flew off the body of the train from the impact.

While we're admiring the site, Uzuki arrives with an axe in her hand, balanced along her shoulders.

"I saw what happened while I was coming back," Uzuki snickers. "What hit you?"

"We don't know, but I think we're about to find out," Mitsuhiro says as he points to the person who's pulling their self out of the metal.

Mitsuhiro was right – it's Yashiro.

"Yashiro Takahashi!" Uzuki suddenly yells out, charging for her friend, who appears to be hunched over in an awkward position. "What the hell was that? You could have gotten yourself killed! Do you have any idea how stupid that was?"

Yashiro shrugs her shoulders. "Meh, it worked, didn't it?"

Uzuki glares at her, but suddenly her eyes go wide, and she grabs Yashiro's shoulder.

"W . . . What is that?" she gasps, spinning Yashiro around to reveal a huge, sharp piece of metal coming out of Yashiro's back. So that's why she's hunched over.

"Oh? Huh, I never noticed that," Yashiro mumbles.

"How are you even-?"

Yashiro scowls at Uzuki. "Look, if you're so concerned about it, why don't you just pull it out already?"

Uzuki very gently taps the metal that's in her back.

"B-But I can't just take it out like this, Yashiro," Uzuki says, her voice trembling. "You'll bleed to death, not to mention it probably went through your spine! It's probably the only thing keeping you alive right now!"

"Fine, then I'll get Shuto to take it out! He's pretty much a doctor after all," Yashiro snaps. "Just stop bitching about it, Uzuki."

Uzuki starts to chew her nails as she watches Yashiro walk away, still hunched over from the metal shard in her back. The thing is about the length of my own arm.

All I can say is, Shuto is going to have fun tonight.

**A Short Interlude**

The blue-haried Reaper looks at the destroyed train and the Time Keepers walking away from the wreckage.

"How did that happen, Mikumo-chyan?" the little girl with the pigtails asks.

Mikumo stares at the little girl. "The demon within that woman's body . . . it's starting to awaken, Miki."

Miki watches the black-haired Time Keeper intently, a smile growing on her face. "I sure wish I had power like that – it would be great to be super strong."

Mikumo stares at Yashiro as well, his eyes narrowing. _The Genkakuna Akuma . . . it's one of the strongest four demons out there, and its speciality is physical attacks. No wonder it would be put into that little girl's body. And it's definitely starting to grow – there's no other way to explain her ability to use her powers outside of her Reaper body._

"Are we just going to sit here, Mikumo-chyan?" Miki asks.

"For now, yes," Mikumo replies. "My job now is to observe and bring back my report to Ikkashi-sama."

"What about Saru?"

Mikumi smirks. "Oh . . . you don't have to worry about him, Miki. Jun and Iwata will take care of him _personally_."

**Chapter 29 (continued)**

"Okay, I'm going to count to three, and when I hit three, I'm pulling it out, alright?" Shuto says to Yashiro, his hand placed firmly over the metal shard. We all have rags at the ready to stop the bleeding.

"Just do it quick!" Yashiro grunts as she leans over the table. We're in the storage car on the train, where no one will find us practically doing surgery on Yashiro.

"Okay, here goes . . ." Shuto grips the shard tighter. "One . . . two . . ." He places his other hand on it. ". . . Three!"

Yashiro screams as Shuto rips the shard out; we can practically see inside Yashiro's human body.

I think I'm going to be sick.

But I work quickly with the rest of the Reapers to push the clothes down onto the wound. There's a lot of blood, and I feel like if we pushed the wound open we could see her spine – if it's even in one piece

anymore.

When we pull away to check the condition of her back, we see something that is completely stunning and terrifying.

Inside her body, black shadows are going back and forth, almost like they're sewing Yashiro back together. They look like sleek tentacles, and they're attaching themselves to either side of the gash and pulling it back together. When the gash is just a thin line, her skin almost melds with the tentacles, and the tentacles change their color to match her skin. Her back doesn't look like it got a scratch now.

"W-What the hell was . . ." I gasp, but I've been struck speechless.

"Guys? What's wrong?" Yashiro asks, still leaning over the table. "I'm okay, right? Shuto?"

Shuto is speechless too. In fact, everyone is.

"Guys, what the hell is wrong?" Yashiro shouts, standing up straight again. "Why are you all looking at me like that?"

We keep staring at her, but eventually Uzuki breaks the silence.

She smiles, and shakes her head. "Nothing. I guess we're just a little surprised that the damage wasn't all that bad."

Yashiro stares at us. "Okay . . . as long as I'm still alive."

Even when she sits down, I can't stop staring.

_Yeah, you're alive alright. And I think you may have a demon inside you._


End file.
